I owned and rode a Hetchins Hellenic for about 7 years and I really enjoyed it. It did have - to me at least - a distinctive feel to the ride that was unlike other bikes. To sum it up, the Hellenic was all short tubes - the top tube, seat tube, and seat stays were considerably shorter than they would be on a conventional frame of my size (60 cm). It rode like a sprint bike, there was no suppleness to it at all!
Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the bike a great deal, but it did have a harshness to it, snappy - exactly what you'd imagine a "short coupled" bike would feel like.
Mark Petry
Bainbridge Island, WA