Originally Posted by
njkayaker
It's fairly common for new riders to think that a bigger gear means they'll go faster. It's fairly common for new riders to use a low cadence.
I think this is the trap the OP has probably fallen into here. She needs to ride the bike and get used to the gears before even thinking about changing the chainring or cassette. But for sure going from a 40T to a 42T chainring is going to be a complete waste of time.