Yesterday afternoon, I took my first ride to get familiar with the "new creature" and for disc brake running-in.
There's some fine-tuning to the setup, but above all, I'll have to get used to the shape of the Force AXS levers, which is very different from that of the Force 22 levers.
The 28mm (tubeless) tires on a 23C channel really feel like "dinghy" compared to the 26mm ones on an 18C channel that I'm used to (not to mention the 25mm on a 17C channel) and this, in my opinion, is somewhat noticeable in the ride: I had the impression that the bike was slightly more "lazy" than the R3 rim brake I rode for 10 years, especially when relaunching and/or changing direction... perhaps there are other factors that influence this, such as the disc brakes themselves and/or the front end which overall I felt more massive/heavy as well as stiff....I don't know, it's my first disc bike.
As for inflation pressure, yesterday I tried setting them to 4.3bar front and 4.5bar rear (I'm 76kg).
I'm not saying they felt overinflated, but I could probably go a few tenths lower to feel smoother on particularly bumpy stretches of road (which, unfortunately, are now the norm on the roads around my house).
Having always been accustomed to round handlebars, I was a bit skeptical about how I'd find the handle on the much wider and flatter aero handlebars, but I have to say that (at least on flat road) I really liked them, and I found the support they offered on my wrist/forearm very pleasant and ample when I get into the aerodynamic position with my elbows bent.
Yesterday I rode just over 20km of flat roads, just a couple of overpasses, and I have to say that on the flat it's a nice "travel", not so much in terms of speed (yesterday I didn't particularly notice it) but in terms of sensations.
On the overpasses, however, when I stood up on the pedals, it didn't seem super responsive compared to the Cervélo R3, but I have to say that, in addition to not having pushed hard, my legs were still tired from the morning run.
Obviously, it's still too early to give a definitive and exhaustive judgment; I'll have to "rack up" some kilometers and test it on climbs and descents first, but for now, I can consider myself satisfied with the sensations it gave me....which is already a good start.
As for disc brakes and electronic gear changes (news for me), I can't comment at the moment, in the sense that during yesterday's ride I didn't have the chance to test them properly.
Currently the Sram derailleur is set to "classic" mode and works well, I also tried the "multishift" (set to 3 teeth jump) which I found practical in certain circumstances.
I'll have time and the opportunity to try the "advanced" modes (compensation and sequential) and maybe I'll change my mind, but at the moment I don't feel like "crying miracle", let me explain: I've been reading for years about people who are super enthusiastic about this innovation that they couldn't do without....well, if I have to be honest, at the moment I don't feel like saying that it has changed my user experience (I come from several years of mechanical Sram 10v and 11v), probably pushing a button is more comfortable than sliding the lever and probably the gear changes are a little faster, all positive aspects which however (at the moment) I perceive it as a very marginal difference, especially if I think about the price difference that there is/was with mechanical groupsets (which are now rare and are only mounted on the cheapest/entry level frames).
