Originally Posted by
sd5782
Playing with the gear calculators does show 6 speeds being a bit more challenging to avoid duplicates however.
Challenging but not impossible. I currently have 53x42 and a 6-speed 13-14-16-19-22-26 freewheel on my roadie. No duplicates! But the 53/19 to/from 53/16 is a big jump and it takes a double shift to get from either of those to the 42/14. If the pace/effort is more relaxed, I don't bother with the double shift and adjust the cadence. But if I'm in a paceline with high effort, I make the double shift.