Originally Posted by
krobinson103
I suspect it would mean I would need to change out the front derailer as well. I don't think its up to the task of shifting a larger chain ring. One of the drawbacks of cutting costs a little and going entry level. I have the Sun race m50 24 speed drive train and it works great. On the road its smooth and fast enough, I can clog it with mud and it still shifts. But I think the answer to this one may be to train my legs to the maximum limits of the bike and then look at a different bike if I want more speed.
I tried shifting down a cog and spinning faster. You can indeed maintain the same speed with a different sort of effort. Been running 2km intervals at higher rpms for the last week or so to try and get the cadence up. I think its working. Today I managed to stay anerobic for the whole interval and the recovery time was minimal.
You're probably right about training being the best approach. Unless you're routinely using your highest gears and still needing more power there's not much to be gained by increasing the gearing.
If you do decide to look into it further check out the specs of your FD. Mine can cope with the standard 44-32-22 or a larger 48-36-26. Much larger than 48t at the front and I'd have to consider the clearance between the chainring and the chainstays as well as whether the FD could handle a chainring that size. It doesn't work too well if the teeth on the chainring act as a circular saw blade against the chainstays.