I second. My bike is an old Trek mountain bike with no suspension at all and I have no problem taking it through a forest path. I feel as though the rigidness allows me to feel the path better. As to pathways, the knobby tires of a mountain bike will probably not allow you to sustain higher speeds for anything other than short burst. If speed and flexibility are your priorities, go the the hybrid way. If you don't care for speed so much but rather have better traction in the dirt, go the MTB way.