Just switched from Vittoria Rubino 700 x 25 to Michelin Carbon 700 x 23.
I'm frankly amazed at the difference.
1. No flats yet. (I've done about 150 miles on the new tires and no
flats yet. At the same time I added some 'Tuffy' liners, and installed
brand new AirLock tubes. I'm going all out in my war on flats.)
2. SMOOTHER! I was expecting a bit harsher ride from the 23's, but
I've been pleasantly surprised. These tires ride very smooth!
3. No leaks! On my old tires I seemed to have small leaks or
something. I'd look down at the tires and see the tire 'widening' (for
lack of a better term.) When I pumped them up to 100 psi, the max, I
would see a pretty uniform width. No wider at the ground then anywhere
else. However at the end of a long ride, or maybe the next day, I'd
look down and I could see the tire flexing wider at the ground contact
point. With the new Michelins, I do not see this. PSI is 115, IIRC.
The tire is uniform with no flex at the ground.
4. Great look! like the dark look with the BLACK/RED/BLACK. My old
tires had a cream colored sidewall, and some red. These new tires have
a much more aggressive look.
5. Slightly higher average speed! Always a good thing.
Overall, I'm VERY pleased!!
My $00.02
-Bianchi Bob