Chuckk, I've had Cannondales with steel, aluminum and carbon fiber forks, I couldn't detect any difference worth remembering. Ride quality always depended on tires and tire pressure. My Fortezzas were uncomfortable at the required 130+ PSI while several versions of Continentals at ~100 PSI are very nice with no penalties. My son's SPX framed Olmo has some Hutchinson Equinox tires that are also very comfortable.
Brad