I ride Marathon Plus tires in summer and Marathon Winter Plus in winter. I have never had a flat since switching to them (from Bontrager, which would puncture at the drop of a hat.) They are slow and rough, but so am I. The one thing I worry about is that they are a bear to get on and off the rim. If I ever do have a flat with them, I may have to sell the bike for cab fare to get back home. This year I turned 70, and gave myself permission to let my LBS wrestle with changing to the studded tires. Especially with the studs, it is truly painful to mount those puppies.