Originally Posted by
kiltedcelt
This is where I'm at right now. I am almost comfortable, I just keep thinking maybe there's that last little thing I could do and I keep thinking about that CF fork. This bike originally started out as a flat bar road bike, but after a few weeks of suffering with that I converted it to a drop bar. Since I've gone to the drop bar it's been far more comfortable because I can ride in such a way that I more naturally absorb bumps because of my seating and hand position. Still, even with the lower pressure in the bigger tires (700x32 is about as big as I can fit with fenders), there's still a little room to take the edge off somewhere. I'm thinking the CF fork might be that extra something.
A CF fork will help a little, but since you are already spending the money on a CF fork, why not bite the bullet and get a steel frame/fork that will work with your components (Cross Check or LHT come to mind, but there are lots of other options)?
I went through basically the same process with my commuter, and was truly amazed with the difference in ride quality when I finally went with a steel frame and fork.