On my last ride a few days ago, I went my usual route with my new bike (and compact crank) which was nice because then I could compare the handling of my new bike to my old bike and I didn't have to worry about which way I was turning, etc. and could concentrate on the feel of the bike, my speed, etc.

As I was pedaling up a long, low sloped hill and once the slope increased by a little bit, the pedaling was much easier for me. It seems counter intuitive that an increased incline would make it easier for me to climb....

Does anyone else experience this?

Could this be that certain leg muscles are in better shape to handle a different incline?