I've never been a spinner, but I've worked to increase and modulate cadence well (70 RPM-ish range I think....). Typically it's been my knees that have 'talked to me' about this thing or that, and as a 6'5" guy, I listen as I'd like to keep functioning knees around for as long as possible. This has more recently taken the form of knee warmers on days in the mid-60s or cooler as that trapped heat helps keep that high strain area over/around the patella 'lubricated'. I focus a lot more on smooth power application. Smoothly loading in power over the top of the stroke, good power as I get past 2:00 and then smooth tapering as I go past 6:00 and pull the pedal up slightly.

I appreciate the finer-stepped nature of 9- and 10-speed systems, which, in an area full of constantly varying grades along with plenty of punchy inclines, allows me to "flatten out the road" well. I still love to get out of the saddle for marching slowly up steep inclines (when I'm out of gears and don't want to mash in the saddle) and sprinting as it is a lot of fun to feel the bike dancing below as we work in coordination to climb or sprint effectively.