Thank you for the replies. I guess that makes sense that the 35 year old steel road bike with the 53/39 in front would ride as easy or sometimes easier than the 2013 carbon road bike due to the size of the gears on the rear cassette (the big gear on the rear of the six speed cassette is as big as a dessert plate)... the newer road bike has the compact 50/34 chainring.
That was what got me wondering about chainrings is riding my old road bike (given to me Christmas 1985) vs riding my newer road bike (purchased Jan 2015). Newer bike shifts smoother, and is faster, but the gearing on the old steel bike makes it easier to climb hills.