I am still trying to find that balance between spinning easy and taking that hill with a lower cadence in a harder gear. I actually prefer the latter - it just does not feel right to me to climb a hill spinning fast in an easy gear - I feel much more in control - and go faster - with a lower cadence/harder gear. Not that I am doing much hill climbing right now...and when I do I make myself spin easy even though I dislike climbing that way.

In the end, I think that I feel more in control of the bike with the slower cadence/harder gear than I do with a higher cadence/easy gear.