In addition to these tricks, you want to try the following as well:
5. air-pressure - make sure the tyres are pumped up on the high side of the pressure range. Narrow 20-23mm tyres should be in the 100-120psi range. Wider tyres of 25-28mm can run 95-105psi range. Use more pressure if you're heavier than average. When I weighed 245lbs, I was using 120psi on 28mm tyres. Underinflation is the leading cause of pinch flats (snake-bites). Pump up the flat tube after you removed it. If you see two holes 3-5mm apart across the tube, it's a pinched flat caused by the rim-bottoming out and smashing through the tube. More pressure prevents such drastic deformations of the tyre.
6. kevlar touring tyres aren't as fast as thin race-rubber, but they last a lot longer and are more flat-resistant. Some have kevlar in the casing, others have a kevlar belt in the casing. I like the ones with a separate belt because that leaves the sidewalls flexible and supple for a faster ride and better handling. The belt works by making it harder for debris like glass and thorns to work their way through the casing. They're not bulletproof (I've tested this
) and they won't stop ALL flats, but they'll slow down the penetration and give you more time for the following techniques to work.
7. wipe your tyres with your hands after running over glass & debris. You can hear glass fragments and stuff that can puncture your tyre when you run them over. Good reason to wear gloves so you can immediately rub your tyre and not let the glass/thorns work themselves through after repeated revolutions. On the front, just reach down in front of the brakes and lightly lay the palm of your gloves on the tyre to scrape off any debris.
On the rear, also put your hands IN FRONTof the brakes, not BEHIND or else they'll get sucked into the brakes!
Put it in front of the brake-caliper and seat-stay. Be careful because your hand can get caught between the tyre and back of the seat-tube. Hook your thumb around the back of the seat stay first, then slide your hand down the stay until your palm barely rubs the tyre to wipe off glass & debris. Your thumb hooked around the seat-stay lets you rub the tyre without looking and keeps your hand from getting dragged forward.
8. Tire savers are the most under-utilized anti-flat tool out there! Touring folks swear by them. These are little wire scrapers that you bolt to your brakes and they have a little half-circular hoop that rides just above your tyre. You push them down onto the tyre and mold it to fit the profile of your tyre closely. Adjust so it rides only 0.5-1.0mm above the tire surface. Any glass or thorns that you pick up is immediately scraped off. I just make my own from some wire coat-hangers.
9. Don't hit stuff like rocks and pot-holes which can cause pinched flats. Most people ride their bikes like their cars and keep their eyes on the horizon. You're not going to reach that spot for another 20-minutes, so look down in front of the bike more. I like to keep my eyes 50-75ft ahead and I can see the horizon through my peripheral vision. Look up and down often to scan the entire road ahead of you. When you see a rock or a pot-hole, look away at the path you want to take. If you look at that rock or pothole, you're GONNA hit it!