Good to see you back!
Originally Posted by
Bill Kapaun
Something like a 12-25/27 cassette may work out much better for you.
It'll have closer spaced gears so you can spin a narrower, more ideal cadence range that matches YOU.
Use the small ring for hills when needed and the big ring for your higher speed needs.
This has really worked for me with my emphysema. I have to ride a narrow cadence range (80-85) and being able to shift up/down 1 tooth with the slight changes in head/tail wind or slopes allows me to maintain that narrow range.
I run 12-23 in the back for this reason, but I'm sure it's hillier where you live, so the 12-27 probably makes more sense.
In any event, I'd go a step further and replace the 42 with a 39. I found the 42 just high enough that it was sometimes too hard to push, but I kept at it anyway because the jump to and from the 30 was so large that it discouraged its use. The 42 also encourages big cogs in the back.
The other thing to consider is time. Without dealing with cancer, it wasn't until my third or fourth year of 5,000 miles a year that I began to make significant improvements in speed. This year (year eight) for some unknown reason, without really trying, my speed has jumped up again.
So to all the rest of the advice, I'd add, "Give time time".
The things mentioned already that helped me were riding more with groups--it's easier to slow down if you're alone--and tagging along on racers' recovery rides. Those were just far enough above my comfortable pace that I had to work to keep up.