My first fave bit was a little section of singletrack in Epping Forest. Not mega-downhill, or particularly gnarly (dude), but tight, twisty and always surprising. It changes, over the year/s, and you have lovely folk who kindly put logs in unexpected places, to add some spice, so you really have to be alert, to get down it cleanly. Having ridden it for so many years, I always try to hammer it as fast as possible, but there’s always bits where you think ‘cooduv done that bit a bit cleaner’, or ‘took that turn a little too wide’, so it’s always a challenge, never boring.
More recently, I’ve discovered the Labyrinth at Swinley, which is such good fun. Very swoopy and bermy, with the odd little jump to catch you out, as well as off-camber bits, ruts, roots etc. Very well thought out. It’s one to try and follow a rider who’s better than you, down, so’s you can watch their lines, learn things, push yourself harder.
And Barry Knows Best, at Holmbury Hill, is a great bit of fun; fast and flowing, a few nice berms, and there’s a little drop-in near the start, that I one day must conquer. It’s an evolving bit of trail, and improves every time we go there. Bugger to climb back up after, though, speshly if you’ve had a cuppa and a snack at the little shop in Peaslake.