I got a CX bike with 40mm tires and enjoy it. But it's just different. I still enjoy the firmer ride of the race bike with 23s.
Originally Posted by
rpenmanparker
OP, it isn't about volume. It is about contact patch size.
What is "it?"
Several properties affect ride feel. Yes, rolling resistance and traction are functions of contact patch size, but weight, and resilience or softness are not - at least not directly. Yes, if you under-inflate your tires, you'll get a larger contact patch and a softer ride, and if you over inflate the same tires, you'll get a smaller contact patch and a firmer ride, but it's ridiculous to expect narrow tires to be as lightly inflated (hence as soft) or to provide as large a contact patch as wide tires. Besides, the larger contact patch with the same tire can only be achieved if the tire is resilient to begin with. No matter how big the contact patch is, if it's hard, your ride will be, too.
That said, it may well be that the same ride feel can be obtained from 23s inflated on the low end of the normal range as 28s on the high end, but no way is the feel of 40mm tires achievable from standard road tires.