common enough for a commuter to carry a patch kit AND a spare tube. (plus pump of course)

I've only been commuting for about a month and have had 5 flats on my stock Kendra tires. Last week I put a mapping GPS on my bike and marked every fleck of glass I saw in route. Yesterday, I spent 8 hours with a leaf blower cleaning up problem spots on the trails and places that glass congregate in the the voids (road debris) between the two bike trails I use going to and from work. I also ordered a pair of Continental Ultra Gatorskins. These two things, and learning the circumstances, here, where glass accumulates in the road, should help reduce flats greatly, I hope I hope. Still, I've determined that there will always be a 150 foot stretch between the two trail junctions where I will always have to carry my bike through.

The Kenda Kourier's that came on my low-end bike were the absolute WORST. I am much happier with my Specialized Nimbus on the new bike. They aren't bombproof, but I have yet to have an issue.

I used a C02 cartridge Friday for the first time. It worked well. I now carry one of these and a tube everywhere I go. I also have a new tube and pump in my office at work and full tire repair set up at home. I am very fortunate to be allowed to keep my bike in my office and am allowed to make tire repairs there. With this kind of support, I am still very hopeful that the Gatorskins will reduce the number of flats I've been having.

One thing that always has me boiling about broken glass is why do people always just throw it out the window on the roads? I know sometimes in certain places it happens by accident, but you know most of the time it's ignorance that can clutter and dilute an entire landscape which may otherwise remain clean and debris free.

Last week, I had my first flat in about 21,000 miles and eight years. That's with Marathon Plus and Mr. Tuffy. I've had one car flat during that time, and annual bike and car mileage are about equal. In my experience, the most durable bike tires are equivalent to DOT-approved street car tires with most others equating to road racing slicks.

Paul

I find it annoying too. There is one section of my 10 mi commute that I will find new broken glas nearly every Monday morning. Rarely does it show up mid-week. I think it might be alcohol related.

I know a lot of my stops to pick up glass are alcohol related...usually in the form of Bud Light bottles from the weekend....I take exercise in a really rural area and drinking and driving is rampant here when you see the amount of bottles, cans, and empty beer boxes littered.
Who knows how many car tires I have saved for those who are littering in the first place. I still don't want garbage in the woods, but you would think it would be the better alternative than the actual road if they MUST throw refuse out the window. Steep fine here in the form of $1500 for littering if you get caught, but these are back roads so it's hard to actually see someone doing this at night.

I do that anyway, if it's raining or snowing I'll swap the tube and patch it later when I'm home and dry.

I've had one flat in the last year and it was in the middle of winter... steel wire that I caught with my finger. There's no goatheads or anything like that around here so staying away from the curb seems to keep me flat-free. I have gatorskins, marathons and some conti sports tires that I ride and they all seem dandy.

I've had two flats in two years, ~5000 miles total. One was from riding on a birm through a giant mess of goat heads, 50 or so stuck one got through. That was on my "crappy" kenda kouriers. I have some random Bontragers now, and the only flat they've had is from a roofing nail. Poor thing never stood a chance.