I recently sold a friend a 1982 Schwinn Voyageur 11.8 (126mm spacing). It has a Super Maxy crank (52/40 teeth, 110 BCD) and 6sp freewheel (13-15-17-20-24-28). I got it all tuned up and ready to roll yesterday and he came by and took it for a spin. He headed out and 45 minutes later comes back and says, "I need faster gears, man."

The guy is 6'3", 220lbs and has friggin' monstrous legs. Initially I thought I'd just replace the 52t chainring with a 53t and/or the freewheel to a 6sp with an 11t small cog. Well, my research looks like that's easier said than done.

So my questions are:

Is there a 6sp (or 7sp if it'll work without modification) freewheel with an 11t small cog? I've found one or two used 7sp freewheels with a 12t which I'll go with if that's my best option and it'll work without issue.

Is it me or are 53t 110 BCD rings hard to find? I've found TA 53 and 54 rings from Harris, but they're too expensive and special order. Also, the ring needs to be silver or polished.

Thanks for your help!