Gotcha.

It's certainly a horsepower/skill discrepancy to a point. I'd say the ratio of horsepower to skill is probably 30/70.

I finish mid to front 1/3 of pack, but way back from the pointy end that gets the call ups and has the best skill/horsepower ratio.

I do what I absolutely can on the skill department, but I don't want to be slower simply because I'm too stubborn to try a tire or pressure or a tread though either. I even made my own set of PVC pipe barriers I can use at home or at the park.

Comfort wise, I feel like a couple courses here wet or dry beat the absolute crap out of me on the 32 tire. I'm not tubeless nor tubular. I don't want to spend money on wheels if I go disc at some point. I could at least move over tubeless ready tires if I use them now with a tube.

So, part of it is I can't get as low a pressure as the TL/tubular crowd. I'm 155lb and ran the 32's at about 25lbs my last race. At that pressure I pinch flatted on my next gravel ride when I hit a washout I didn't see in time to bunny hop.

Edit:
I have the Velocity USA wheels, an A23 I think. Not sure if TL ready or not.