obviously, if you ride on super smooth roads, there won't be a huge difference between a CF and a steel/aluminum fork. likewise, a CF fork will not help much if you encounter massive potholes. however, for general urban/street riding where the street surfaces are somewhat degraded or inconsistent, the difference for me was night and day (keeping the same tires, psi). i agree that similar comfort enhancements may be achieved by changing to larger tires (e.g., from 23 to 25 or 28) or lowering the psi (beware of pinch flats, especially if you are a bigger rider).