There's nothing worse than buying new tires and getting a flat on the first ride. To mitigate this, what I do is wash thoroughly whatever is on the surface of these tires when they are new. Wash several times if you have to to get rid of the sticky surface. Then make sure you inflate them at 95 lbs, minimum, around 100 is a good compromise. I do this every time with new Continentals and almost never flat knock wood! on my commute.
Replaced oe tires on my touring bike with folding bead 700x23c Ultra Gatorskins. Good compromise between light weight and durability, 1k miles and no flats on typical suburban roads.
I have installed the folding version of this tire on all three of my wife's bikes. She rides far and wide several hundred miles a week and I did not want her getting flats out in the middle of nowhere. These tires on stout Campy Nucleon rims have never let her down. Peace of mind for a far price and weight.
I recently got a pair of 700x25 folding tires for my commuter bike. These tires ride great, very forgiving compared to the Specialized All Conditions Pros. Perfect commuter/training tire.
