For my use, nothing beats a good quality, reasonably light, reasonably wide tire. I run 42 or 1.75 on my Safari, my old mountain bike and my winter bike. It's not just comfort: it's the ability to handle the unexpected road "imperfections" and variation in load, as I will load the rear racks down pretty good with shopping or stuff from time to time. I do like a lighter tire with a minimal city tread though. A couple of years back when I retired my old RidgeRunner mountain bike from winter duty I slapped on a set of light Kevlar bead 1.75 tires on it and I couldn't believe the subjective transformation. The older tires I removed weren't that much wider, but they were heavier and treaded aggressively. Felt like a new bike and of the ride was actually more comfortable: similar air volume, but the "suppleness" and less tread whine paid dividends.