Vittoria Diamante Pro II

I bought the new, latest Diamante Pro II instead of Michelin Pro3's or Krylions because, for the same 25c width, they were lighter and had new, high tech features like tread design, compound, and flat protection. Plus the previous version had pretty good roadbikereview ratings. So I bought them even without any price discount at all. When putting on the tires I noticed that they didn't seem too wide, so I laid them flat on top of some 25c Michelins - sure enough, they're about 14" less. So you know how they got that light weight? They old fashioned way - they lied. Mounted on the rim, they measured 24c, not 25c, probably saving 20g. This may not sound like much less width, but the ride difference is very noticeable compared to the wonderfully cushy Michelin ProRaces they replaced. Also less than 25c Continental GP4000s's. I buy 25c's for that reason being a 200 lb. rider, so the Diamantes were quite a disappointment. They also don't seem to be particularly fast feeling, and they tallernarrower profile compared to the round Michelins makes the bike handle different, a bit twitchier. The rhombus pattern makes a funny noisevibration when out of the saddle. On top of all that, I got a flat the first time out at the end of a metric century, so I'm not too sure about the high tech flatproofing. Bike Tires Direct is not a "satisfaction guaranteed" company I learned that the hard way with the Continentals, so once you've used 'em, you bought 'em. Not a disaster, but I would not recommend them, nor would I buy them again.