puncture resistant bike tubes

You're probably going to get a lot of opinions on this. FWIW, I think you're probably better off putting more weight into the tires with some sort of belt like Gatorskins or Armadillos to keep anything from getting that far in. I've been pretty impressed with my newer Michelon Krylions so far and they roll pretty good as well.

Well I did buy Gatorskin by continental tires today. Apart of me was still thinking I should gotten the tubes too. Maybe I am being overly cautious.

When I have Gatorskins on, I don't even swerve for glass. Don't sweat it.

If you're really concerned about flats mid race, your probably better off going with latex tubes and a sealant over any butyl tire. There was a pretty good article on ST recently about tubes and sealants, you might want to take a look.

But it's already been said, Gatorskins are more than enough protection. But remember that protection and speed are a trade-off, the better the flat protection, the slower the tire rolls.

Most everyone I've talked to in my area (NC) recommends Conti 4000 II's. They are race fast but also have good puncture pro. A very good tradeoff it seems. Good training and racing tire.

Gators are the next step up in puncture prevention but you also get more rolling resistance, as someone mentioned. These are popular around here for training rides. Not that you couldn't race them as well.

Is there a way to find out what the road conditions are and/or what the locals roll? No sense rolling "armored" tires unless you really need them? Is worrying about a flat more important than lower rolling resistance? Just me but I'd rather have better performing tires race day and accept the risk of puncture. Obviously YMMV.

My next race is known for crappy road conditions . For training your probably always ride with gators on. Last night I saw a girl on TV talking about sport performances and pre race rituals. She was a college swimmer and said she never shaved until minutes before an event. In training they wanted to be hairy to have more drag.

Cheap tube and Gatorskins = Peace of mind.