While mountain bikes still have their place in the biking world, they can be heavy and clunky to ride in town. On the other hand a cruiser is limited in what type of terrain it can tackle. For many women the best bike to come along in ages is one that combines the best of both these bikes, the womens hybrid bikes you see in many bike shops today.
When mountain bikes first came out many riders bought them because they loved how rugged they were. You could take them out into the country and ride the hills, bouncing along without a care in the world. But for riding in town you needed a roadster or cruising bike because mountain bikes were just too heavy. There had to be a solution.
As most women will tell you, a bike needs to be more than just fast. A bike also needs to be comfortable when running errands in town or for a simple pleasure ride on a Saturday afternoon. No one should have to invest in two bikes for two purposes. This is why hybrid bikes make so much sense for women today. It's the most practical bike ever invented.