Most of your riding is flat so that make sense to me. However I've been 53/39 on a 7x rear on my Raleigh and 52/36 on a 11x rear on my Paramount and Tarmac I've been thinking of going to 53/39 on my Tarmac. I'm generally going up or down most of the time. Short climbs of 30 to 40 ft elevation and 4% to 6% grades

It's not that I'm fast, but I like feeling some resistance in the pedals going downhill whether I'm adding to my speed or not. I just don't like keeping my legs still. If I am, it's a sign I'm worn out.