Some days you have to push against the odds and everything telling you to go home. Some days you just have to go home. The great thing is that you get to decide that. And you did.

Here ==> https://www.windy.com/?35.982,-114.944,8

You can thank me later.

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Goatheads sound nasty. I don't see how that makes a case for tubeless. The answer has got to be to prevent the puncture, whatever that takes, than to backstop the loss of air with sealant. Doing that works well enough for humans and animals, but ... it does have its limitations. That's why we have Kevlar vests. Kevlar tires? I don't know all the sizes Marathon Plus comes in, but on my roadie I use the Bontrager Hardcase H2 in 700C x 25mm. I am NOT slower on the Bonties than I would be on any other tire in a similar size. And they have never flatted. Ever. I've had that bike since 2017 and have never changed a flat on it. That isn't saying a whole lot since I don't ride it every day. But there have been stretches where I did use it for commuting and errands and I know that the area I am riding in flats 'normal tires' daily. Big Apple 2x/wk. Standard Marathon, monthly. Marathon Plus, never. If I lived in Goathead country I'd put Rhynodillo or Mr. Tuffy in a set of M+ or H2 and call it good. I'd still beat the times (and riders) I can beat, and the ones that I can't, it wouldn't change that situation. What if that is as good as it gets? FWIW.

​​​​​​Please explain why "preventing the puncture" is a superior solution in this scenario.

And I'm not even sure what you're getting at with the Kevlar vest reference.

I am not a diehard tubeless fan by any means, but goat heads are one the biggest justifiers of tubeless I can think of. I

Yep. If goatheads were my major puncture risk, I'd run tubeless for sure, as it can handle that easily. Probably even better than some heavy, stiff-riding tires like the ones Leisesturm mentioned.

Thanks for the wind maps, guys. I checked them out. They're almost mesmerizing. But I'm easily entertained. Dude, rage against tubeless all you want. I'm working on converting all my bikes to tubeless. The sealant can be a PITA but I'd rather deal with that in my garage than swapping tubes on the side of the road in 100* heat.

Yeah, some days it's just not in the cards. Reminds me of that one time I drove out to ride a particular route, I break a rear spoke 2 miles into the ride. Or earlier this spring when it seemed like there was some sort of storm every weekend. ​​​​Or this week, when my work schedule looks pretty open but we're getting hit with a heat wave 🤷

OP lives in goathead country and is completely sold on tubeless…But I’ll bet that real-world experience won’t change Leisesturm ’s mind. He’s too smart for that!