Options for shock/ bump reduction?
 

I own a 2010 Ridley X-Fire that I enjoy a great deal. My only complaint is that as it has no suspension, on occasions my elbows take a beating and I’ve come close to losing control of the handlebars on unseen holes.
I do realize that a full suspension MTB would not behave this way but I enjoy this bike for many uses and have no desire to buy a full suspension bike.
My gf has a Specialized Diverge that features a shock absorber built into the fork tube that works like a charm. Is that something my Ridley can be retrofitted with or are there other options?. Current tire pressure is approx 30F 40R but of course varies per terrain and running 35” Clements.

Lower tire pressures, tubeless, suspension seat post, shockstop stem

exactly in that order. If you want to know what exactly works and not, just visit my site: gravelbikes.cc where I have tested a lot of things that should improve riding comfort.

I have been riding a Lauf fork a year now. It adds very little weight and adds a ton of control on fast rough decents as a great added bonus. The Lauf fork immediately eliminated numb hands. And you can add it to most any bike. I also am trying a redshift suspension seatpost now and it is also very good, far better than the thudbuster or any of the other gimicky cheap ones.

Can you fit wider tires? You can also try gel padding underneath the bar tape. Those are things you can do without venturing into actual suspension mods.

As mentioned, the next steps might be to try a suspension stem and seatpost.

How does the front end feel when you’re climbing or sprinting and off the saddle? I have the option to add a Lauf fork to my custom Lynskey bike order but concerned about lack of feedback or mushiness.

you will be better off with a redshift suspension stem. Seriously. After testing both extensively I can tell you that Lauf Grit SL is too much of a compromise when handling is considered. It is basically a spring so of course, it will bounce a little, and to be honest, it needs at least a big supple tires to work best. Otherwise, what it absorbs from the ground, it will release to the rider just a tad later. More on this on my website, where I tested both solutions (gravelbikes.cc).