Originally Posted By: BikeWhisperer
First ditch the 23c and go at least 25c
I also recommend this, even though I do believe there are more 23c tire choices.
Originally Posted By: wwillson
I put about 5000mi/year on my Gatorskins. I have never had a flat with the Gatorskins! They are the only tires I've had that wear out before they get cut deeply enough that they need to be replaced. Having said that, I'll get a flat today...
I just switched to the Freedom Thickslicks. Got a flat withing my first week! After that, only one more. At least I have no trouble installing and removing them, which would be a problem on the Gatorskins (according to all the reviews). The OP is interested in inexpensive tires so GatorSkins are out of the question.
If the OP is interested in inexpensive 23c tires, just buy them in pairs off of Nashbar during a sale or cloesout. You do that to save on shipping, but when I say pair, they don't have to be the same. You can use a pretty cheap tire on the front of your bicycle and it won't matter since you aren't going to get very many flats on it. I live in a big city and my front tire is absolutely nothing special, or a worn rear tire that was a goo done when it was new.