Hi-ten is short for high tension. Tension refers to the strength of a metal. High is a relative term just as delicious is. They use the term hi-ten on the lowest tension tubes. They get away with that because it's relative. It's stronger than, say, grass, so it's high. Get it?
Chrome-moly, (aka cr-mo, chromoly, etc) is short for chrome-molybdenum, and it means they added chrome and molybdenum to the steel to make it stronger. It's the most common type of steel for better bikes. Reynolds made a different alloy which they called 531, which stands for the ratio of manganese, molybdenum, and carbon added to the iron to make the steel. (Chrome-moly also has carbon added.) A few other brands made manganese-molybdenum tubes.
The point of these alloys is to make them stronger so they can be made thinner and thus lighter without sacrificing necessary strength.
But don't choose a frame by the tube set. Many do, and it's a waste of energy. The geometry and the quality of the build are equal factors in how a bike rides and holds up. If you know a frame is made of
some brand of premium tubing, you know the ingredients are good.
But with all of that said, some bikes made with hi-ten, which we pejoratively call gas-pipe, ride darned well.
I don't think it makes much sense to start with a model in mind with your search. Search and see what you find. Ask about the bikes you've come across, and the collective wisdom will give you feedback. That's the best way to build a list of bikes you know about.
Just about every brand makes stuff from low end to high end. How high-end do you think you want to go? And what kind of riding do you want to do on it?
The
Lovely Bicycle blog hasn't been updated much lately, but it's several years old and worth a good look. I don't say that merely because you're a woman. It's written by someone who thinks long and about stuff. She tries stuff and says why it does or does not work for her.