# vittoria diamante pro radiale



## PoorCyclist (Oct 14, 2010)

Has anyone used these? I thought 220tpi might ride pretty good without going to the cotton 320tpi corsa.

I ordered one set in the 24mm
Diamante « Categories « Vittoria

I figure conti GP4000s 23mm are a bit wider than vittorias rubino 23mm. so maybe 24 will be just about right and 22 is too narrow.

I plan on using it for fast rides / TT with not so much climbing.


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## Boltman76 (Sep 18, 2011)

I would also be interested to see if anyone has some experience with these tires. I actually found a review for the Diamante Radial on BikeRadar but you guys will have to google search it. I tried to post the link, but I can't cause I don't have enough posts!

Their only gripe seemed to be the narrowness of the tire, but going to the 24 mm should solve that problem. Like the OP I am also looking at the 24 mm tire and was wondering how they compared to the old Diamante (the reviews of the Diamante Pro seem to be a mixed bag), Rubino Pro, Conti GP 4000s and other tires in the same ballpark. For me, tires will be going on Velocity A23 rims. PoorCyclist have you ever compared the 25 mm Rubino Pro to the 23? Is it a lot wider or not too much?


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## RoadBoy1 (Oct 1, 2011)

My experience indicates that the Vittoria tires tend to run narrow. I bought a set of the Diamontes in 23mm and when I got the mounted and inflated there were in actuality a 20 mm tire.

I don't know if Vittoria is trying to save themselves some money or if the guy who designed the tires is dyslexic but they do run on the narrow side.


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## PoorCyclist (Oct 14, 2010)

I don't measure but I do see that conti runs a bit wider, their 23 is definitely wider than vittoria. I will put on the 24mm and see how it compares side by side.

I like vittoria because they are usually a bit looser fitting, which is good on a rim that is slightly big. They are also good roundness without too many lumps or twist.


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## dracula (Mar 9, 2010)

PoorCyclist said:


> I don't measure but I do see that conti runs a bit wider, their 23 is definitely wider than vittoria. I will put on the 24mm and see how it compares side by side.
> 
> I like vittoria because they are usually a bit looser fitting, which is good on a rim that is slightly big. They are also good roundness without too many lumps or twist.


My Vittoria Pro Radiale 700x24 just arrived. I have not had time to mount it yet but gonna post the following information.

Regarding tyre size. First lets put the "bead-to-bead" measure into perspective. I think this measurement: laying the tyre flat and measuring the distance between outher bead to bead is more of a valuable gauge than the just the width. mm = millimetres.

Older Michelin Krylion Carbons 700x23: 64 mm
Newer (but not ProRace4 Endurance) Michelin Krylion Carbons 700x23: 60 mm
Michelin Pro Optimum 700x25: 72 mm
Michelin Pro3Race 700x25: 72 mm

Vittoria Evo Open Pave 700x24: 64 mm

Vittoria Diamante Pro Radiale 700x24: 64 mm

4 mm of a difference or even a 10 mm does not sound much but it is a huge.

The older Krylions in size 25 were massive and actually once mounted on the rim had a width=27mm and this is importat height=25mm. The older Krylions in size 23 had a measured width=24 mm and height=23 mm, respectively on a 19 mm rim (e.g. Mavic Equipe). However, the newer Michelin Krylions in size 23 only reach a width=22mm and height=21 mm. 

The Vittoria Open Pave Evo in size 24 measured a true width=24 mm and height=23mm.


I would have problems in terms of clearance with a Michelin in size 700x25 but think the latest Krylions in size 700x23 are actually a 22mm tyre. I do not like a 22 mm tyre on British roads.

The Continental GP in size 700x24mm would be ideal but I think there a too many reports of catastrophic side wall failures.

I do not know how long the Vittoria Diamante 700x24 will last. The carcass looks similar than what I can see under the hood of my Krylion. The Evo Open Pave didn't last long and even cut when you look at it. I just now use the green Open Pave Evo as a front and plan to use the Diamante Pro Radiale in the rear.

By the way: ribble cycles has some good deals on the Diamante Pro Radiale. I got mine for £26 (you need to spend more than £35 though).


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## PoorCyclist (Oct 14, 2010)

I have mounted the Diamante radiale 24mm on the same rim with the GP4000s 23mm and they measured about the same width same PSI. Anyway I have ridden about 90 miles in one ride and found them to be comfortable over rough pavement and handle well.

On another forum someone said his front slipped in damp surfaces and felt unsafe with it. Another member said he did a rolling resistance test on the rollers and it did poorly, it's a commuter tire at best. 

Not sure who to believe but it works pretty good for me. I ride on real roads, not rollers.
The ride is supple and need a little more pressure otherwise it seems soft and have a larger contact patch than say GP4000s at the same pressure.


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## dracula (Mar 9, 2010)

PoorCyclist said:


> I have mounted the Diamante radiale 24mm on the same rim with the GP4000s 23mm and they measured about the same width same PSI. Anyway I have ridden about 90 miles in one ride and found them to be comfortable over rough pavement and handle well.
> 
> On another forum someone said his front slipped in damp surfaces and felt unsafe with it. Another member said he did a rolling resistance test on the rollers and it did poorly, it's a commuter tire at best.
> 
> ...



This 700x24 tyre:

A) Is supple indeed! To be honest it is one of the most supple tyres I ever had the pleasure to ride with. After pumping it up to 8 or 9 bars I often had to stop check the pressure during the ride.

B) I do not think it is a race tyre (although this opinion is quite subjective)

C) HOWEVER, the tyre is highly overpriced for what you get in terms of durability. Admittedly it does not cut (not flats) but it lasted only 1100km and now the tyre thread is popping through. That low of thread life is unacceptable even for a race tyre.


Tyres I consider a rip off: A) Vittoria Open Pave (zero puncture protection, cuts easily although will last longer than the Pro Radiale; AND it is one of the most uncomfortable tyres out there!) B) Yup the Vittoria Pro Radiale.

By the way: I do not think the tyre is a good choice for a commuter either because it is paper thin (I repeat: it is paper thin). But I am quite sure the prodigies on weightwennies and people making cycling magazines will love it: A) it has no rubber, B) it is paper thin (it did not look like that when I first mounted it) and will last 3 weeks and C) it does not weight much and D) it is highly overpriced. What more can you expect from a tyre?


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## PoorCyclist (Oct 14, 2010)

Thanks for your feedback, seems to be my observation as well.
I ended up returning them because I noticed a little out of round plus it was wearing quickly. 

Running rubino pro slick now, it's nothing special but it seems to be rolling faster than pro radiale and GP4000s. The decision to choose this was because it went on a tight rim much easier than the other 2.


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## AM999 (Jan 22, 2007)

PoorCyclist said:


> I have mounted the Diamante radiale 24mm on the same rim with the GP4000s 23mm and they measured about the same width same PSI. Anyway I have ridden about 90 miles in one ride and found them to be comfortable over rough pavement and handle well.
> 
> On another forum someone said his front slipped in damp surfaces and felt unsafe with it. Another member said he did a rolling resistance test on the rollers and it did poorly, it's a commuter tire at best.
> 
> ...


Could you please direct me/us to the rolling resistance tests - Thanks.

I have a couple of them and was going to test as well in the near future.


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## SlyCross01 (Nov 5, 2008)

I recently mounted a pair of Diamante Pro 700x23's on one of my bikes. Observations:
1) They mount much easier than any of my previous tires.
2) Never having had anything more than a 120 tpi tire, these things are supple.
3) Even running at a higher pressure, the ride is nice.
4) I have no negative "perceptions" regarding traction, rolling resistance, sidewall traction, wet behavior etc.

I don't know if wear is going to be an issue. I have ~250 miles to date: 100 on flat eastern shore back roads of varying quality, the rest on mountainous / hilly back road road surfaces. Lots of time riding in the crap near or on the shoulder/edge. Taken some hits. No cuts, no flats, so far. I tend to replace tires often anyway, so not a biggie.

Overall, subjectively, I like the overall ride 'feel' much better than my previous tires.


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## froze (Sep 15, 2002)

A tighter fitting tire stands a better chance of staying on the rim in the event of a blowout vs a loose fitting tire.


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## dracula (Mar 9, 2010)

dracula said:


> This 700x24 tyre:
> 
> A) Is supple indeed! To be honest it is one of the most supple tyres I ever had the pleasure to ride with. After pumping it up to 8 or 9 bars I often had to stop check the pressure during the ride.
> 
> ...


By the way: I have a new (in original packaging) Vittoria Pro Radial 700x24c tyre lying around. If you are from the area Edinburgh (Scotland) and are interested in the tyre please drop me a note. I would like to swap it for lets say a Michelin Pro3 Race etc.


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## dracula (Mar 9, 2010)

Update:

I now used the other brand new Diamante Pro Radiale tyre as a front tyre for a short period of time. After a few kilometres the tyre developed "streaks" on the sidewall all over the place and some of them are bulging out. I reckon it wouldn't take long for the tyre to blow out on a fast descent. The sidewalls are thinner than a sheet of paper.

I now use the tyre on my commuter (low speed in the city) because I would feel quite unsafe with that tyre on my road bike.

I am probably the biggest prick and saw that good to avoid deal (£34) of a set of old stock Vittoria Pro Slicks 700x23 on ebay. The front lasted exactly for one century ride: a big gash in the sidewall. Bin it.

On a descent the rear tyre then blow out last Saturday (after 400 km) and I had to boot the sidewall with a tyre boot to make it back home very slowly. Bin it. I almost crashed. 

The bussines seller on ebay never replied and it was the first time ever I had to give a negative feedback. He refused/did not care to reply how old the stock tyres are.

Summary:

4 Vittoria tyres binned after a couple of kilometres and quite some money wasted (£100). I am now a Vittoria tyre hater.

The sidewalls on the Vittorias are simply too thin for road use (maybe they are okay in a laboratory).

I now ordered a set of Michelin Pro4 Endurance from Ribble (£50 the pair and think this is a good deal). In the past thy Krylion served me well and lasted on average 5000 km.

I haven't ridden the Endurance yet but it seems:

a) the sidewalls are much thicker than the ones of the Vittorias
b) installing the tyre is a pain (this is a pity I really liked to try a lightweight tube e.g. 75 gramms but think would be impossible to install the tube without pinching it)
c) the bead-to-bead measure is 60 millimetres (for the 700x23c Pro4 Endurance)
d) I haven't weighted it because I am not interested in the tyre weight and hope it is heavier (=more rubber and longer life) than the claimed 225gr.


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## froze (Sep 15, 2002)

I never use that particular Vitts that you have but I've used others and their sidewalls are actually better and stronger then Contis models I've used. I've had problems with Conti sidewalls but not the Vitts. Most road tires do not put a lot of protection in the sidewalls especially racing tires that will have no protection. If your riding racing tires on the street like that Vitt then you were asking for trouble...and trouble you got, the age of the tires had nothing to do with your issues unless you noticed sidewall cracks prior to installing then you should have returned them without using them. The Mich Endurance tire is a far better tire for the street, but the two aren't even the same, the Mich took their flat protection and extended it all the way to the bead making the sidewall stronger, and it's not really designed for all out racing.


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## dracula (Mar 9, 2010)

froze said:


> I never use that particular Vitts that you have but I've used others and their sidewalls are actually better and stronger then Contis models I've used. I've had problems with Conti sidewalls but not the Vitts. Most road tires do not put a lot of protection in the sidewalls especially racing tires that will have no protection. If your riding racing tires on the street like that Vitt then you were asking for trouble...and trouble you got, the age of the tires had nothing to do with your issues unless you noticed sidewall cracks prior to installing then you should have returned them without using them. The Mich Endurance tire is a far better tire for the street, but the two aren't even the same, the Mich took their flat protection and extended it all the way to the bead making the sidewall stronger, and it's not really designed for all out racing.


I would really like it to try some newer Contis but some years back I had a tyre blow-out on a Conti (after a long descent in the rain in the Alps). It is probably just a mental thing but a Conti would make me nervous.

I think I am quite biased in favour of Michelins because reports of sidewall cuts and tyre blow-outs are seldom reported. However, Google is full of Conti and Schwalbe tyre blow-out reports.

I am not racing but would think a tyre blow-out in a race will not make me win the race. So I do not get the point why a thin sidewall is something desireable in a race. 

Btw: The reason why I tried the Diamante Pro Radiale is the size. It is a true 24mm (64mm bead-to-bead). I cannot for example mount a Michelin Krylion/Pro3 race 700x25 (70-72mm bead-to-bead) because of clearance issues on the rear tyre.


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## froze (Sep 15, 2002)

dracula;3958271
I am not racing but would think a tyre blow-out in a race will not make me win the race. So I do not get the point why a thin sidewall is something desireable in a race.
.[/QUOTE said:


> Thin sidewalls translates into better high speed handling, and a lighter faster rolling tire. Racing with such a tire is indeed a possible problem, but before pro races they clean the streets, even a local race we had here in Fort Wayne Indiana they cleaned the race route. Also with a pro race you have your sag vehicle following close behind, if you have a flat your crew comes and quickly swaps out the wheel and tire. And that's why racing tires are impracticable for street use because in normal riding no one cleaning the streets your going to be on and nor do you have sag support. But that doesn't stop wealthy people from buying racing tires because they think their better, and the wear and damage doesn't matter to them.


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## AM999 (Jan 22, 2007)

froze said:


> Thin sidewalls translates into better high speed handling, and a lighter faster rolling tire. Racing with such a tire is indeed a possible problem, but before pro races they clean the streets, even a local race we had here in Fort Wayne Indiana they cleaned the race route. Also with a pro race you have your sag vehicle following close behind, if you have a flat your crew comes and quickly swaps out the wheel and tire. And that's why racing tires are impracticable for street use because in normal riding no one cleaning the streets your going to be on and nor do you have sag support. But that doesn't stop wealthy people from buying racing tires because they think their better, and the wear and damage doesn't matter to them.


Actually the Radiale's don't roll very well at all. I just tested one last weekend. The Crr was ~ 0.00350 which is approximately the same as a Conti GP 4 Seasons all weather tire. The Radiale on both wheels will require ~ 15 watts more power to go the same speed as a Vittoria Open Corsa CX 23. I also noticed that they made a crackling sound as I installed the tire - my thought is that these were adhesions popping as they broke up in the casing. I subsequently talked to another person who heard the same.


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## froze (Sep 15, 2002)

AM999 said:


> Actually the Radiale's don't roll very well at all. I just tested one last weekend. The Crr was ~ 0.00350 which is approximately the same as a Conti GP 4 Seasons all weather tire. The Radiale on both wheels will require ~ 15 watts more power to go the same speed as a Vittoria Open Corsa CX 23. I also noticed that they made a crackling sound as I installed the tire - my thought is that these were adhesions popping as they broke up in the casing. I subsequently talked to another person who heard the same.


Well you wouldn't come to expect that from a racing tire, but if your tests are showing just average results then so be it. But typically, even according to your testing, racing tires come up more frequently with the least amount of rolling resistance, not that that is good for street purposes because racing tires are fragile, but it is good for racing on.

Cracking sound? Maybe that's why Dracula had problems with his tires? I would think by now Vittoria tire company would have heard of issues and either release a recall or refund or exchange. Either way, I would try to get an exchange from Vittoria if I were Dracula, of course if I was Dracula I would be sinking my teeth into Vittoria...


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## AM999 (Jan 22, 2007)

froze said:


> Well you wouldn't come to expect that from a racing tire, but if your tests are showing just average results then so be it. But typically, even according to your testing, racing tires come up more frequently with the least amount of rolling resistance, not that that is good for street purposes because racing tires are fragile, but it is good for racing on.
> 
> Cracking sound? Maybe that's why Dracula had problems with his tires? I would think by now Vittoria tire company would have heard of issues and either release a recall or refund or exchange. Either way, I would try to get an exchange from Vittoria if I were Dracula, of course if I was Dracula I would be sinking my teeth into Vittoria...


Sometimes racing tires will fool you although I know that Vittoria has access to some testing resources. The tread seemed a bit stiff which can increase rolling resistance. I put ~ 20 miles on one of the tires last weekend - very nice ride with a latex tube and ~ 120 psig in the rear tire. Also seemed to track when cornering well although I'm not a good judge of that. But there may be some quality issues ??


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## froze (Sep 15, 2002)

I think there's a lot of quality issues with stuff coming out of China which is where most tires are made too.

I tried using latex tubes again last year but found them to be too fragile, they punctured just as easily as butyl and I couldn't get a patch to stick for longer then 3 months. Ride was a bit nicer though, felt like I was running butyl with only 75psi instead of 110psi. After all the problems I could no longer justify spending $14 for a tube when a $8 one will work just as good. Anyway that was my experience which mirrored my experience I had about 20 years ago when I again tried latex. silly me, I failed to learn from my past experience.


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## AM999 (Jan 22, 2007)

froze said:


> I think there's a lot of quality issues with stuff coming out of China which is where most tires are made too.
> 
> I tried using latex tubes again last year but found them to be too fragile, they punctured just as easily as butyl and I couldn't get a patch to stick for longer then 3 months. Ride was a bit nicer though, felt like I was running butyl with only 75psi instead of 110psi. After all the problems I could no longer justify spending $14 for a tube when a $8 one will work just as good. Anyway that was my experience which mirrored my experience I had about 20 years ago when I again tried latex. silly me, I failed to learn from my past experience.


You are up late. 

I've had very good luck both with Rema patches as well as home made latex patches from old latex tubes. I used one with literally ~ 15 patches in it from when my cat used the tube as a chew toy. I think the key is to make sure the surfaces are thoroughly degreased using alcohol. I use rubber cement and let that dry for ~ 3 minutes before applying the patch. Then use a popsicle stick to firmly press the patch into the cement. Glueless patches worked as well but eventually fell off as the adhesive would dry out. Never had much luck with glueless on butyl tubes however.


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## froze (Sep 15, 2002)

AM999 said:


> You are up late.
> 
> I've had very good luck both with Rema patches as well as home made latex patches from old latex tubes. I used one with literally ~ 15 patches in it from when my cat used the tube as a chew toy. I think the key is to make sure the surfaces are thoroughly degreased using alcohol. I use rubber cement and let that dry for ~ 3 minutes before applying the patch. Then use a popsicle stick to firmly press the patch into the cement. Glueless patches worked as well but eventually fell off as the adhesive would dry out. Never had much luck with glueless on butyl tubes however.


The glueless patches that I've been using for the last 18 to 20 year with butyl with great success didn't work well with latex unlike what my LBS said. And I did make some patches with an destroyed latex tubes and cement but they didn't hold up well either. The cost of using latex tubes and gaining nothing from flat protection, unlike what is advertised, and losing on the time it took to repair flats sealed the deal, I went back to butyl and glueless patches.

My success is with glueless patches is so good, I ride on glueless patched tubes all the time, and had has many as 13 or 14 on a single tube, so I don't just patch with a glueless and go home remove the patch a put a glue on patch back on or throw away the tube. I haven't ever used a glue on patch on a butyl tube for those entire 18 to 20 years. I love those patches.


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## dracula (Mar 9, 2010)

dracula said:


> I would really like it to try some newer Contis but some years back I had a tyre blow-out on a Conti (after a long descent in the rain in the Alps). It is probably just a mental thing but a Conti would make me nervous.
> 
> I think I am quite biased in favour of Michelins because reports of sidewall cuts and tyre blow-outs are seldom reported. However, Google is full of Conti and Schwalbe tyre blow-out reports.
> 
> ...


By the way: An interesting link and worth a read why one should report bead-to-bead tyre distances rather than the sole width (scroll down for the tables):

700/23 vs 700/25 tires ? - rec.bicycles.tech | Google Groups


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## dracula (Mar 9, 2010)

dracula said:


> Update:
> 
> I now used the other brand new Diamante Pro Radiale tyre as a front tyre for a short period of time. After a few kilometres the tyre developed "streaks" on the sidewall all over the place and some of them are bulging out. I reckon it wouldn't take long for the tyre to blow out on a fast descent. The sidewalls are thinner than a sheet of paper.
> 
> ...



Update on the first ride (55km) with the new Pro4 Endurance:

a) The ride is surprisingly smooth (as smooth as the ride with the Vittoria Pro Slicks 700x23). Just guessing but I think they now changed the formula for the rubber compound and it must be softer by comparison to my older Kyrlions. I inflated the rear to 8 bar and front 7 bar, respectively (I could't ride that combo on a set of Vittoria Open Paves because this tyre is one of the most uncomfortable tyres out there no matter how great the tpi count is; and lowering the pressure resulted in pinch flats).

b) The Endurance feels quite good on the road. My other Krylion feels stiffer at the centre and more like plastic and could explain why road feel is not the best.

A lot of things are subjective especially in terms of experienced comfort, although, for example my brother commented on the first ride after swapping Conti Grand Prix 700x24 for a pair of Michelin Pro3 Race 700x23 (using the same inner tubes and Mavic Aksium wheels) that the ride (independent of tyre pressure) feels so much smoother.


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## dracula (Mar 9, 2010)

AM999 said:


> Actually the Radiale's don't roll very well at all. I just tested one last weekend. The Crr was ~ 0.00350 which is approximately the same as a Conti GP 4 Seasons all weather tire. The Radiale on both wheels will require ~ 15 watts more power to go the same speed as a Vittoria Open Corsa CX 23. I also noticed that they made a crackling sound as I installed the tire - my thought is that these were adhesions popping as they broke up in the casing. I subsequently talked to another person who heard the same.


After binning my first Diamante (which was mounted on the rear wheel) I also noticed this strange markings bulging out of the side walls at some places. I then thought this is a one off.

However, after the first ride on the other Diamante (mounted as a front tyre) the side walls again showed the streaks.

The side walls are paper thin and I also heard that crackling sound while inflating the tyres with a floor pump. 

I think froze is right and the side walls can easily snap and break.


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## froze (Sep 15, 2002)

dracula said:


> Update on the first ride (55km) with the new Pro4 Endurance:
> 
> a) The ride is surprisingly smooth (as smooth as the ride with the Vittoria Pro Slicks 700x23).


I bought a set of these on sale this last fall for $24 each but I haven't tried them yet because the bike I ride the most has a set of Kenda Konstrictors with 4,000 miles on them and are still good and only having one flat..weird considering how thin they feel, so I thought they would have worn out by now. But I got them because they were cheap because they were sitting a warehouse for a year and their all cracked and peeling, I like that vintage look...anyway I got them because I wanted to try a Vitt, they were under my $35 max that I would ever spend on a tire, and the reviews were high.

I like the Kenda's a lot, I may venture trying other tires but with the great success I've had with the Kenda's I will always have a set of those on a bike...assuming I can find a set below my $35 price limit.


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## Bramster (Jul 7, 2012)

I have returned the Diamanté Pro Radials. With a slow leak on the front wheel, the tire rolled to the in a low speed turn and dumped me on the ground. I was able to ride 3km back to my car and floor pump. These tire are a hazard If not at full pressure. I've never seen anything like this in 35 years of heavy-duty cycling (commuting, racing, time-trialling, fully-loaded touring and multi-century rides. I gave them a try based on the dramatic improvement of radial automobile tires over bias ply tires. 

I'm back to Diamanté Pro lite slicks. Never a problem with them.


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## Boltman76 (Sep 18, 2011)

I also experienced some crackling noises when installing the tires and I can't say I have ever heard that type of sound from a tire during installation. The ride quality of the 24 mm tire on Velocity A23 rims was excellent and the tires felt very smooth. However, I noticed what seemed to be a lot of wear after only about 50 miles so I decided to send the tires back. For the price they seemed to just be wearing too fast for me!


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## David23 (Jun 5, 2012)

I've had a good experience with them (700x22) with about 250 miles so far. No wear issues, running around 120 psi rear and the ride rivals the tubulars I have been using. I'm on pretty rough roads, hot weather, and no flats so far. I'm happy with them at this point, and would see no reason to change.


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## BLD25 (Jul 14, 2012)

are the radials much different than a regular Diamante Pro? I like the Diamante that I have, and I don't want to have any of these issues.


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