In goathead country (New Mexico for instance), the default preventive measure is thorn resistant tubes plus Slime. This prevents some punctures and seals most of the remainder well enough to get you through a long ride.big thanks for the link. we here in oklahoma seemed to be hit hard this year - im running the Kenda Flame tires 2.25 with the bell puncture proof tubes, yeah right and a little mix of slime, very messy and with all that a single thorn got me.
when i look at my car tires which seem to care less about the thorns, it makes me wonder why oh why there is no thick rubber bicycle tire that can handle it - although the kenda tire is of excellent quality it didnt help.
Goatheads are one of those puncture hazards for which there is only one really effective defense-- tread thickness. Kevlar belts don't help, because they are woven, and the tiny thorn just pokes through the weave. Tire liners only help to the degree that they increase the thickness between thread surface and tube. Car and truck tires fend off goatheads because they are many times thicker than the length of a goathead's thorns.
The best puncture prevention I have found yet is a thick rubber-belted tire, like the Schwalbe Marathon Plus (which is expensive), Michelin Pilot City (less expensive), and CST Salvo (very inexpensive for what it is, about $20). All these tires have a 3/16" to 1/4" thick belt of rubber under the tread rubber, to serve as a simple physical barrier to small sharp objects. This belt is made of a different material than tread rubber, for a couple of reasons. First, long-wearing and high traction tread rubber causes a lot of rolling resistance if it's too thick. The rubber belts of these armored tires are made of high rebound material that doesn't carry as much of a rolling resistance penalty. Also, tread rubber is designed to grip, which makes it grip and retain penetrating objects that can continue to work their way deeper. The non-traction rubber armor belt helps to eject thorns and slivers as it rolls.
Marathon Plus HS 348 | Schwalbe North America
Michelin Pilot City 26" Tire - Outside Outfitters
CST Salva Tire 26x1.75 Reflective, Steel Bead - AEBike.com
For maximum puncture paranoia, you could combine one of these heavy but excellent tires with a thick thorn resistant tube and Slime. By that time, I reckon tire liners would do more harm than good-- they harm ride quality, add more rolling resistance, and can even chafe holes in a normal weight inner tube.
Chalo