I will echo the feeling you are not going to become a strong climber spinning some low gears. Honesly, you want to climb well, lose weight. Its the biggest factor. It may not be easy, but it will gain you the most percieved power increase. I like gadgets as well as the next guy, but good grief, being a good climber has very little to do with garmins, heart rate monitors and power output tracking hubs.
If you are heavy, you will be slower than the light guys considering equal training. In my youth as a rider I was easily the best climber in the club, mostly I was the lightest and liked to climb. Bigger guys simply had to be much stronger cyclists to stay with me. That being said, many a guy I creamed on the hills would smear me in time trials or especially sprints where those monster quads made my little legs seem feeble.
Good luck. Personnely I think you rode well. You hung with them on the flats, and approached the hill by riding within yourself. Well done in my opinion.
Happy climbing.
Im starting my climbing work in a couple weeks. Trying to let the lung heal up before I see just how bad it will hurt.