Hermes

I think you are doing great.

IMO, the mash / spin discussion is a fools errand to an extent. I think it is more about muscle composition, genetics, goals and health versus which is better.

I can spin up a climb or mash up a climb. Most of my riding is on the same routes and climbs day after day. So I try various methods. My legs like mashing up hills and I get some of my better times and average power. If I do a hill climb race, I will spin slower versus faster but I may vary the cadence as the grade changes.

The downside of mashing for me is muscle strain. So if I am on a bike tour, riding every day, too much mashing is not great. I will tend to gear down and spin more.

With respect to training, I do low cadence work where I will keep the cadence between 55 - 60 rpm. I do that for climbing and flat terrain. I will ride 54/11 on my time trial bike on flat terrain at 55 rpm to build strength in the time trial position.

My suggestion is to try both. There is one proviso and that is one must train to spin faster (one will not have immediate success) but one can always self select to spin slower.