balindamood

I'm running Shimano (8-speed with triple cranks) Deore LX with Sora shifters. At the risk of sounding too nuts, I am considering changing some of the gears and was wondering what the maximum change between front and rear cogs the front and rear derailleurs can take. E.g. I have 28-38-48 front and am considering swapping the big ring for a 50. Likewise, in the rear, I want to consolidate the smaller (higher?) gears and leave one or two large cogs for need. Can it handle say a 6-10 cog jump in the back?

I hear the question "what is it your doing?". The bike is a somewhat modified Scott Sub 20 which gets 20-miles a day commute. Nearly all flat except for two steep but short hills. I occasionally run out of gear with the wind at my back, and otherwise find myself frequently wanting to cruise in-between the same 3-4 gears.

Thanks!