I'm doing it - Try a Tri

[Pat Menzies]

Pros apparently now run on wider tires than in the past. The thought that skinny high pressure tires are going to be that much faster is likely based on perfect conditions like new asphalt or a velodrome.
Skinny tires are like a bike that is incredibly stiff for power transfer but so uncomfortable that you spend most of a ride coasting and gritting your teeth rather than pedaling.
Think of a 25mm tire run at moderately high pressure as a comfortable middle ground. They also cost far less than 150 dollars. You can get a hand me down pair from a tri geek that thinks theirs are "worn out" as soon as the logo gets a bit blurry.

[Jwolf]

Thanks Pat. I'm starting to wonder why I asked the question but at least it allowed me to figure out the size of my rims and tires. I seriously don't think this is going to make a huge difference for me now since I'm pretty timid on the bike as it is. When I get more experience and confidence I'll start to think about changing some stuff. For now I doubt the tires are my limiting factor. I had a really fun ride today on a combination of road and gravel trail and I wouldn't be able to do that with slicks.