Originally Posted by Kapusta

I am a little confused. Are you running 33mm tires or 38mm tires?

I don’t think going from 38s to 40s is going to do a lot... it is only 2mm bigger. Search around to see if this bike can clear something like 42-43. That would make a little difference.

However, going from 33mm to 40mm will make a very big difference.

How much do you weight? You may be able to run lower tire pressure than what you are now. I am 173 lbs and with 38mm tires I regularly run 35/45 front/rear on dirt roads on my gravel bike.

I don’t is suspension is really needed, but larger (like 2” and bigger) tires at low pressure would be very nice. A short travel front fork would be fine too, and if you find it is too rough at the back end, there are some decent suspension seat posts out there.