Originally Posted by
zacster
And that is exactly what I'm saying. This calculator by default is for a 6sp 53/42 setup. And it talks about freewheels, not cassettes. While the calculator works up to 10 or was it 12 speed cassettes, what is the point? There would be more usable gears using 1 chainring and the 10, 11 or 12 cogs you have in the rear and never go into another chainring.
I'm not sure what your beef with that calculator is? There are losses (and wear and tear) if you use the big chanring with the big sprocket and vice versa. Hence the "shift pattern" which will help you avoid most of those.
(Edit: That said, you could go with an IGH or a 1x setup if you prefer derailleurs).