I understand what the OP is saying about the climbing abilities of the two bikes. I have the ultimate in relaxed comfort geometry in my commuter bike: The Schwinn Sierra GS comfort hybrid. I was able to easily improve some of its geometry by removing the swept-back riser bars and opting for a flat bar. I also changed the gearing, put on smaller tires, etc. I use the Schwinn for my 27 mile round-trip commute, which is mostly downhill in the morning and mostly uphill in the evening. I definitely use different muscle groups riding this bike than my Specialized Allez road bike, but can still climb my hills without problem (even with a loaded rack). It did take me some time to learn how to pedal the hybrid differently than the road bike when climbing hills.
My wife has a Cypress, and its geometry is not quite as relaxed as my Sierra was before my upgrades. It's a good bike for her, as she aspires to cruise the neighborhood, lake path, etc. If I were buying my hybrid again, it would be more like a Surly LHT.