Geometry plays a part in that, but I think grips and saddle are at least as important. And those ARE some things that are easily changed about a bike. As an example, I have a 2015 Trek Verve 3, perhaps one of the LEAST sporty of the hybrid class. It's very much designed to be an upright cruiser bike. I've done 10 miles on it before, though. On July 30, my daughter and I went for an evening ride and I took the Verve. We rode 10.2 miles and averaged 8.8 mph. We rode easy, stopped to walk through some new construction houses here and there, and just enjoyed being out. This morning, I rode my 1997 Trek 750 for 10.2 miles with an average speed of 11.0 mph. I was by myself and I didn't stop much.

The biggest shortcoming to the Verve is the weight. It's 33 pounds according to an old digital bathroom scale we have -- and that's about what I'd expect for a large frame aluminum comfort hybrid with a suspension fork and a rear rack. It also has a suspension seat post and the saddle itself is heavy. One can do distance on this bike, but it's certainly not as efficient as something lighter. My 750 weighs 29 pounds, with a butterfly trekking bar and a rear rack. Trek claims it's about 25 pounds (the stuff I've added has likely added to the weight). The saddle is also a touch heavier than the stock saddle (which was pretty light). It's a LOT easier to pedal the 750 around.

You mentioned some dirt trails. I think that should probably move bikes like the Giant Roam and Fuji Traverse to the head of your list. Specialized's bike in that category is the Crosstrail. Trek offers the Dual Sport (DS). These have a bit wider tires than many bikes, a front suspension fork which really does help off road (I use my Verve off road often, I like the fork in that use). Bikes like the sportier Giant Escape and Trek FX will also work, but they have narrower tires that won't offer as much confidence off the paved trail. That category would not be my first choice for mixed use.

This is why I think the Roll is interesting. It uses relatively wide (2.3") 650b tires (rather than 700c like the rest of these bikes). There is no suspension fork (can be a good thing), but the plush tires take a lot of the impact away. You can also spec a slightly different handlebar on the Roll -- it looks like most models have a high rise handlebar, but they sell one model (the City model) that has more of a flat bar.

https://www.specialized.com/us/en/bi...ll-city/118223

You wouldn't have to spend that much on one -- you could buy one of the other Roll models and put a flat bar on it, if you wanted to lower the riding position and have more weight up front.

Lots of options, and this is one reason I like bikes so much. You can mix-and-match to your heart's desire, and there's also a seemingly endless number of options if you want something showroom stock.

Good luck!