Mega lolz at the first bit but the second is rubbish. For the riding you do, certain bikes will have a more suited geometry but you state that you don't ride down mountains so how do you know what the best tool for that job is?
ATB is a good term as it covers a wide scope of off road riding and most of what we used to ride bitd but things have changed and the range of terrain is wider. Would I want to ride my 150mm 29er full suss on a canal path? No, not really, that's what my gravel or retro bike is for. Would I want to take the gravel bike down Hully Gully at Gisburn or a day at Bike Park Wales? Nope! Both 'could' do either but have geometry suited to their intended purpose. Bikes are fun, different bikes are funerer!
I'm not denying that certain geometries are better suited for certain terrain. I said I don't give a shit. Don't mistake my ignorance for rejection of factual claims. People have been riding down mountains on so many variations of bike frames, be it on road frames, overbuilt cruisers, old school 80's geo MTB's, and so and so on, that I can conclude that you can pretty much use any bike to ride whatever you want. At the cost of comfort and with more risks of frame and component failure.
I never said you or anyone else shouldn't get a full suspension 29'er with an electric groupset and go nuts. Happy days.
I know of many folks that have a bike for almost every terrain, and they're very religious about it. And that's fair, many DO want a bike that is specifically very good at riding ____________ - but I think one should be careful not to buy so much into the bike labels, that it gets to a point where a newcomer thinks he/she can't ride this or that unless they get 'the right tool for the job', when the 'right tool' pool is growing on a yearly basis as things get more and more specific, and at the same time more proprietary.
And seeing as the opinion on the 'optimal' geometry for this and that changes every 10 years, but the landscapes remain the same, I don't think it's really worth putting a bunch of thought into it - maybe if you're a pro. But then again, the pro's are spoonfed sponsorships and sold the heaven and skies every single time there's a new marvel of bike engineering....
I just like the return of the ATB term, because I believe it embodies the way most people use their bikes. Particularly retro MTB's
I prefer bikes that can do everything, personally, but I'd never tell a person that they shouldn't fill their garage with an XC bike, a downhill bike, an enduro bike, a trail bike, a freeride bike, a gravel bike, a road bike and whatever other bike they want. I find the endless sub-categories pointless, though. And a huge part of it is about making mucho dolares.
But I won't deny that I am known to spread rubbish
bikepacking.com
