Originally Posted by staehpj1

I value the lively ride you get from flexible sidewalls and prefer to watch weight of all components and gear pretty closely. I don't obsess if I have to fix a flat once in a while. Given that, I find Continental Gatorskins to be a pretty good choice. I run lightweight tubes either a size smaller than recommended or at the small end of the recommended range. That makes tires easier to mount, yields a livelier ride, and saves a good bit of weight since we are talking about two tubes in the tires and two spares.

BTW: I tried Marathon Pluses briefly and hated the dead feeling ride and the extra weight. I disliked them enough that I took them off after just a few hundred miles. For folks who are really averse to getting a flat once in a while I guess they are the ticket, but they should realize that the Plus weighs more than twice what something like the Gatorskin does, have a very stiff sidewall, and are generally a very low performance tire. They are apparently very long wearing, but I consider that a long sentence to a dead feeling ride. I'd consider them for a short commute on very glass strew roads, otherwise no.

If in goat head thorn country I have found that the following steps minimize tire problems:

1. knowing what the goat head plants look like
2. avoiding green stuff growing in the cracks of the shoulder
3. staying on the pavement
4. checking for and removing any thorns before resuming any time I do go off of the pavement at all