Looking for some advise here, though I may ask on the maintenance forum as well.
I need to replace the chain, cassette and chain rings on my 20 year old Trek 750. Currently has a 7 speed 12-28 cassette and the big ring is the original 48T. On flat terrain I normally ride with the gears set at 3-6 or 3-7, which means that I have nowhere to shift for a downhill. Only option to go faster is to pedal faster.
Since I have the opportunity, I figure that I might as well tweak the gearing. I could go with a 11-28 or 11-30 cassette, but I'm leaning towards putting in a bigger ring, maybe a 52T. Anyone have any experience with gear upgrades? Will what I have in mind do what I want? Will increasing the gear differential make shifting rougher?
I'll probably be ordering the parts next week, so any help would be appreciated.