The scenic 5.6 miles of Forest Park's perimeter bike trail connects the Central West End, Dogtown and the Loop, taking riders past Jefferson Lake, wetland and prairie rehabs, a sprawling golf course and horses grazing near the mounted police stable. Zipping around joggers on the outer trail can feel like a round of Nintendo's California Games. This is good fun, but what makes Forest Park the best urban bike ride in St. Louis are the hidden, nearly deserted paths that wind through John F. Kennedy Memorial Forest. Take the paved, winding trails through a tunnel of dense, low-hanging foliage and try to not smile, lest bugs get caught in your teeth. With a mountain bike, you can dive even deeper into the heart of the forest, through technically difficult dirt paths that dip through creeks, cross sketchy wooden bridges and bounce over logs; these interconnected paths are so numerous that it is actually possible to get lost — which can be kind of nice in the midst of the big city.