Mixte versus hybrid step through

My wife has a Bianchi hybrid in a step through ("ladies") style frame. This past Sunday she finally had a chance to try the Furry Blue mixte.

I was curious to see what her reaction would be. She enjoys riding her bike, but she's not really "in" to bikes. Well, this past Sunday she went for her first ride, and she was all smiles.

She liked the Furry Blue mixte better than her Bianchi hybrid step through, no question. Even though the hybrid is made from a lighter aluminum frame, and the parts on the Furry Blue aren't especially light, she said the Furry Blue felt sportier - lighter and quicker. She also noticed that the Furry Blue felt lower to the ground, and she felt less "on top of the bike" and that it felt safer and more stable and she liked that feeling.

Her reaction is what I hoped for. The Furry Blue mixte is somewhat like a hybrid bike in the use of canti or v-brakes and ability to take wider tires. However it differs from most hybrids since it has a steeper head tube angle which means quicker steering and shorter distance from the cranks to the front wheel. Also, as she easily noticed, the bike as a whole is built lower to the ground because the place where the cranks attach to the frame is set lower.