Most bike shops are going to inflate the tires to 100psi+ a test ride IME. At 180lbs. I run the 25's on my road bike at 85-90psi and the ride is pretty decent. Going up to 28's with 75-80psi would make a noticeable difference but don't expect miracles. I have 32's on my hybrid and run them around 55-60psi and the ride is pretty smooth compared to the road bike. If you're new to skinny tires you will adapt to the stiffer ride and won't really notice it as much after a few hundred miles.

This is the bike I'm looking to buy to replace my hybrid for running errands. It's basically a comfort geometry road bike that takes wide tires and a rack. I was looking at CX bikes but the cantilever brakes gave some pause (I heard they aren't great.) Braking is one area I'm not willing to compromise (had some close calls on the hybrid.) Even the cheap Tektro caliper brakes on my last road bike worked very well with good pads installed.

http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/...quila_xiii.htm