Lowdown: Diamondback Podium Vitesse Di2 Disc

If you're on a budget, but looking for a performance road bike with all the latest frills, the Diamondback Podium Vitesse Disc may well have your name written all over it. This bike is aerodynamic, stiff enough to win a sprint at the top level of the sport (see stages 4 and 7 at this year's Tour of California), and it's comfortable enough to ride all day long. Perhaps most importantly, all this comes at the comparatively low price of $3200. Diamondback has stuck to its roots as a value oriented brand, but its product now stacks up with some of the more expensive brands.



Review: Diamondback Podium Vitesse Disc

American Continental team Rally Cycling rode to their first WorldTour stage win last month at the Tour of California. What's more, they went 1-2 in that stage, with Evan Huffman and Rob Britton sprinting to the line in a dramatic finish in Santa Clarita. Then, to prove the showing was not a fluke, Huffman took the top step again on the final stage of the California tour. And they accomplished these standout performances on the Diamondback Podium Vitesse - a bike that can be yours for far less than most other race-winning bikes on the market.


Build Highlights

Our tester Diamondback Podium Vitesse Disc came spec'd with HED Ardennes wheels that were smooth, light, and bombproof when the tarmac turned rough. Paired with Continental Ultra Sport 25mm tires, this set-up produce not a single flat in 1000+ miles of testing.


The Shimano Ultegra shifting is faultless and light enough for all but the most discerning weight weenie. You can also get this frame paired with Ultegra Di2 if you're interested in making the jump to electronic shifting.

The performance of disc brakes on road bikes (even mechanical setups) is so far superior to standard rim brakes it's hard to fathom why shops still sell anything less. This setup, Ultegra RS-805 hydraulic brakes, offered all the modulation and power I could ask for, allowing me to descend with confidence and even get a bit playful when the ride took a pause. Kudos to Diamondback for pairing such high performance with a well-priced bike that weighs only slightly over the UCI weight limit.


Ride Feel and Performance

For the first couple hundred miles something unsuspecting stood in the way of my ability to get a good feel for this bike. Handlebars are a simple, yet critical first contact point with the bicycle and cannot be overlooked. The issue was not just bars wide width, but the awkwardly short drops, which made riding in the drops uncomfortable. Sprinting in the drops was almost impossible, with my forearms contacting the upper part of the bars during hard efforts and producing a numbing pain.


Otherwise, this bike rode well for its price. The Ultegra mechanical drivetrain is a standby for value-focused performance. Braking was confidence inspiring and this is one of the lightest disc brake road bikes I've tested.


Beyond the handlebars, my biggest qualm with the Podium Vitesse was the immergence of bottom bracket creaking after just 400 miles of ride time. Perhaps it was a fluke, but this bike looked unridden when it arrived and it was only tested in dry conditions, leaving me to wonder how common such an issue might be.


Bottom Line

Even if you happen to have shoulders as wide as Hulk Hogan, do yourself a favor and ask your dealer to trade out these bars before taking this bike home. With that critical rider-bike interface concern put to rest, and aside from a potential bottom bracket issue, this bike performs exceptionally well, and does so for far less money than many comparable race bikes.

For more information visit www.diamondback.com.