Originally Posted by
shoota
Gah, I'm dumb. But at least I was asking the right questions.
OP:
As was mentioned, 30psi tubed is pretty dang low.
What are the problems you're experiencing that you're trying to alleviate with more cushioning? Because at this point I'm not 100% you have the right bike for your needs.
I ride recreational a lot on typical flat gravel roads (often washboard) and most of the time I am on tops to be more comfortable. In more challenging terrain I use hoods but this is max 20% of my ride. I look for the most cushioning possible to avoid neck and shoulder tiredness. I like my gravel bike and I like having a multiple hand position on a drop bar to avoid hand numbness so I don't intend to go back to hybrid bike with classic front suspension especially because of the weight of that solution. From my research and experience I believe that there is two solutions left for me: 650b 50c tires set up tubless or lauf grit fork. The second one is very expensive and will change geometry of my bike quite significantly which concerns me. The first one also presents drawbacks: mainly lower bb height and it is not that good for maintaining speed due to the smaller wheels.