There has been a very long tradition of riding all paths around the North Pakes for a great many years. I used to go out with the club from Keswick Mountain Bikes on an evening with Max in the lead and the rides that we went on were predominantly footpaths. I know at least one Local National Park ranger who regulaly rides on the footpath. The main thing is that they were hard-packed stony footpaths with few walkers on them, and they ride with respect for people, the environment and the local conditions. In the case of this video, Rich and Jon went out for a social and were, as always, very respectful to everyone they met, and recieved nothing but interest and complements (and a few – you “must be nuts!”). They also had to ride up an incredibly steep bridleway track to reach the summit (and yes, they did ride it all the way up, Junkyard!), so i’m not sure this video is going to bring people flocking to the summit in their footsteps. We put this up as entertainment and inspiration for people who love the idea of riding in big mountains, and maybe didn’t realise it would upset people. We’ve now taken it off our youtube page and if it caused offence – i’m sorry – it was supposed to be entertainment and a chance to show off a really amazing area for mountain biking.

Chris@CycleActive

ps we were recently asked by LDNP if we or anyone we knew regularly mountain biked on a short section of footpath at the south end of the derwent valley. They wanted to know that it WAS used because they wanted to show a need for it to become bridleway as its a short section of “missing link” trail that connects to a very good and pupular route. This is just one example of why i personally reject any suggestion that riding on footpaths diminishes our rights or reputation, PROVIDED that people are riding responsibly and respectfully – this is what is essential, but this is my personal view and that, of course, is what forums are for!

Hey John, yes, it's me.
I'm having my own issues with FC right now. Their former Chairman, Lord Clarke of Windermere, wrote to me after i took it to him (when all else fails, go to the top, right) and promised me that by early 2010 I'd be able to apply for access to Whinlatter to run coaching sessions there. i've followed this up regularly (started trying to apply for permission over 2 years ago) but the relationship between the hill-top cycle shop owners and the local manager is so tight that he has not even gone as far as turning down our application for access – he just won't let us apply! Our nearest trail centre and we cannot coach there. None of the schools we work with, local clubs, scouts etc. can go there with us. Good job we have some amazing terrain here in the east side of The Lakes, and the guys from Lowther Estates let us use some brilliant private singletrack sections…but shouldn't a trail centre built with funds aimed at helping a local community and local business be open to small local businesses?
Yes, we need a strong, independent voice. I just don't know where we find it.
Cheers
Chris@CycleActive

career mistake, that is.

when i got married i asked my grandad, aged 85 at the time, what the secret to his long marriage was. he scratched his head and thought for a moment, then answered "well…..after we got married i got a break for 4 years with the war (he ended it in a POW camp in Morocco) and then soon after worked away as an engineer for 3 years, so I'd say just try not to see too much of each other in the first ten years…"
At which point he puffed on his pipe and cracked up laughing!
The main thing is to agree what you're doing with everyone. And have a get out option if you realise you made a big mistake.
Chris @CycleActive

David – you sure? really? That's impressive in terms of business focus and planning, even if the result is not to our liking.

But i think that's partly the problem. I believe that we the mountain biking "community" should not be believing that someone who builds trails for us is therefore someone who is there to care for us and help us to grow the sport in the way we want. Certainly there are a great many people within FC who are passionate about mountain biking and have made a huge contribution to the sport. BUT that is not part of their mandate – they lose money on wood so they need to find ways to make money elsewhere.

A mountain bike centre is a brilliant thing for FC because they can bring in a huge amount of funding to build it, but then put it out on a lease to the highest bidder and generate all the return themselves. They are not doing this out of charity or a love for the sport – it's a business that needs to diversify further and further into leisure because timber doesn't cut it any more.

i was speaking at the first CTC-IMBA conference in October two years ago and John Ireland, head of risk management or something like at FC, made the point very clearly that they are not a mountain biking organisation and that we should not think of them as being one. They have just stepped into a void because bodies like British Cycling and Scottish Cycling are not driving the development of recreational mountain biking.

I know forums aren't for selling so i'll keep it brief – if you want to talk through options or ideas for your type of riding then give us a call, but it sounds like the High Atlas singletrack we do in Morocco is going to be the thing for you. Depends on time of year though – your other options are primarily summer choices but Morocco is too hot then – we're busy from October to december and then again April and May. Check out this gallery for an idea of the riding:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cycleactive/sets/72157611957649799/
Cheers
Chris@CycleActive

sadly the idea that the local experts will get some sort of favourable treatment was clearly shown to not be the case by the FC in Kielder. They build a great big new building and, because 80 percent of the funds were from developmnent money, had to go through the tender process to find their tennant. Some "big boys" did not get it, neither did Ian at The Bike Place even though he'd been the main man in the area for years, built half the trails, worked closely with the whole visitor community and had great relations with FC and other key local businesses.

It's the "what happened next" that took FC in Kielder by surprise, I believe. Ian found a small but well located spot on the edge of Kielder village to rent, moved his operation there, and is thriving but not as an FC tennant. The only trouble is they recently refused access for him to run any kind of courses or coaching sessions on the trails because they wanted to protect their new tenant, who was also doing coaching. even though it wasn't part of the tender process…

FC in Scotland works differently to FC in England and they at least grant much wider and free access to trails for all users, including small businesses. So if The Hub in the Forest becomes The Hub just outside the forest then at least they will still be able to continue their school groups, guiding and coaching business.

stretching theories can clash but i think the accepted wisdom now is don't stretch cold, tight muscles (before you ride) just warm, loose ones (after the ride). Like mattp said, ride slow to start with and after 10 or 15 mins at steady state, when you feel the heat coming to your legs, stop and gently stretch out your calves and hamstrings at least.

A really good stretch session after a ride will make a big difference to your healthly long cycling life. We do coaching for an awful lot of people now, from recreational riders to elite racers, and the one thing we see across the board is that those who have a good stretching routine (not necessarily a long one) suffer less injuries, have better posture on and off the bike, and usually pick up new techniques more quickly too.

Best way to learn some good stretches is either find a yoga or pilates class, get a book or scout the internet for ideas.

Finally, if you have never stretched then you may be harbouring some old muscle damage, knots or tight spots that can really be helped by sports massage. I confess to having been a cynic about this until two years ago when Tom in Penrith started fixing me with his lazer accurate massage. Makes such a difference, every now and then.

Chris@CycleActive

this problem can actually lead you into all sorts of issues and in one severe case a guy called mark beaumont lost the ability to corner in both directions – he only nipped out to the shops for some milk…

This problem is very often closely linked to the way you ride, and in particular the way you use your body, hands and feet on descents and when braking.

One of the skills we work on a lot is footwork and using your lower body to absorb more of the trail forces so your grip can be lighter and your bike control can then become more confident and relaxed at the same time.

In addition a common cause of pain is from riding with brake levers too close to grips, which forces you to seat your hand partly on the corner of the grips overhanging the edge, rather than squarely in the centre of the grip (with a bit of bar sticking out to the side). This is even worse if you use metal-ended lock on grips. Instead of the fatty pad of your palm being on the bars your nerves are placed under far greater direct pressure.

If you want more advice on this or the links to a couple of features we have written on footwork then feel free to fire me an email on chris@cycleactive.co.uk and I'll gladly fire them over or send you some links.

Cheers
Chris@CycleActive

Just seen the thread and can comment in more detail on the SMBLA but also on the links between the awards.

At present the SMBLA is the only one on the BC qualifications framework, the only one recognised, promoted and funded through the National Skills Academy and the only one that was recognised by AALA (as it was) at the highest level as accrediting people to take groups into high mountain terrain without the addition of an ML qualification board through the MLTB.

This is one of the reasons I took CycleActive down the road of the SMBLA ten years ago.

However, an award is only as good as the people delivering and the people assessing. I'm now part of a small group of Mentor Tutors for the SMBLA looking at the development of more CPD courses, more assistance and mentoring for newly qualified tutors, and more robust quality control right through the system. I also sit on the main committee and know that our chairman is already in the first stages of talks with the CTC and MIAS about how – in the long term – the awards can be better aligned.

In the long term there needs to be one clear standard and i don't think anybody doubts that every award has its merits. Personally I'm glad i am with the SMBLA because the governing body status and added recognition it has achieved (including being the only award recognised in France, provided it is held with an IML and French language competence) all add up to a strong market leading presence, in my opinion.

If you want to find out more then feel free to email me on chris@cycleactive.co.uk

Cheers,
Chris Ford

Geda, you've come to a forum to ask advice from a whole mix of people but you are unsure about going to someone who has spent years and years studying mountain bike techniques, ridden with and analysed some of the best in the world, developed analysis skills to help in every riding situation, has a bank of coaching progressions that will sort out pretty much any problem in bitesized chunks, ….

I can't vouch for other instructors who are mentioned on here but i know some get really good press, and i can tell you for sure that the guys who work with me at CycleActive have spent a huge amount of time not just working on their personal riding, but developing their coaching too. Our last staff training day was spent working on two drops and two jumps at Ae Forest, taking video of eachother as we worked on different approaches to not only to the jumping and dropping, but to the moves that form part of it and how to break them down and explain them when working with clients.

Our clients come from all over the world and from all walks of life. We get super keen dirt jumpers, trail riders, elite level racers, total novices and american billionaires. The competencies (both technical and mental) they come with are different but we have the skills to make them all progress. That's why we do it – so don't be put off by a video, good coaching is a truly amazing experience and the biggest feedback we get from people is "why did i wait so long before doing this!"

Give us, or someone, a call and we'll get all of your biking problems sorted out.
Cheers
Chris@CycleActive

You said the skills coaching you had was great and worked. So go back for more. If you've found an instructor who you like, who gets you motivated and who has been able to address not only your technical skills but how to build your confidence and mental control then get back to him or her for more sessions. Most of the folks who come to us for skills training don't just have one day then go off and become the next Steve Peat. They turn their new knowledge and ideas into integral parts of their riding, and when that happens, they pick up the phone and say "ok, got that, what's next…?" It's a lot cheaper than buying stuff for your bike, but you do have to ride a lot afterwards to really put the info you get from your instructor into the front of your brain, making it a natural part of your riding.
Good luck,
Chris@CycleActive

"the front tucked under"
Most common reason for this is if you dab your brakes, especially the front brake, while turning. The centrifugal force of your body pushes harder on the outside of the handlebars, making the bike stand up, the turn stall, and ultimately the rider may fall.
Sometimes the problem comes before the berm with braking technique – if your footwork isn't neat and you brake late you'll hit the turn with too much pressure on the bars instead of controlling it through hips and feet.
Have you got anyone who can shoot some clips of you and youtube them? It's pretty easy to analyse this still from video, but really hard from text.
Cheers, Chris@CycleActive

mk1fan has a really good point here and as someone working in the outdoor industry, where people can hurt themselves, i know the importance of good insurance and understanding your legal responsibilities.
the tax risk and NI risk is greater for the employer than for you, if the taxman decides to treat you as employed rather than self employed. you should still get advice, but this isn't your biggest concern.
the real risk to you is insurance. lets say something you design falls down and someone gets injured. the company gets sued and their insurers in turn look to recover their costs from the contractor who did the work. as you're not employed by the company you are very unlikely to be covered under their insurances.
The safest thing to do is ensure that whatever contract you draw up has a clause in it (checked by your solicitor) stating that they indemnify you against any and all actions, costs in defending actions etc etc.
This may sound a bit heavy handed but your work is so long term that this period of self employment could come back and bite you in ten years time when you've got your yacht, swiss alpine chalet and so on, and you'll end up having to sell the lot…
Chris@CycleActive

If you want to check out our courses and our private coaching options have a look at http://www.cycleactive.co.uk – we're based in the Lakes and have done some stuff at Delamere for private groups before now. Happy to talk through ideas / options / what you need to cover etc.
Chris@CycleActive

@cheeky monkey – great description of something really har to visualise.

@donk – here's a different way to visualise it. imagine your front wheel as a bouncy ball. you want to use a pump (which is bike speak for a sharp, snappy push with either hands or feet or both) to get the ball to bounce as hard as possible out of the corner. so as the bike is coming past the apex you throw the ball forwards into the slope of the berm, the force is translated into a thrust out of the corner, and you pick up speed. As cheeky monkey said, suspension will abosrb a lot of the force if it is too soft (look at bmx racers to see what pump can do on a fully rigin bike with rock-hard tyres).

Best thing to do is get down there with a friend and a video camera or regular camera that'll shoot some shorts. You might quickly see what is and is not working.

If you have access to a bmx then don't just stick to the pump track – get down to one of the race tracks in manchester or preston on a cruiser and your pumping skills will really get a boost.

Chris@CycleActive

recently switched to the bontrager 2.2-2.5 midweight / all mountain tubes. heavier than regular xc but not monster dh thickness. really pleased and we run them on all of our guide and rental bikes now to keep puncture time down to a minimum.
hope this helps.
chris@CycleActive

@lakesrider
if you want south lakes that's fine for us – we work pretty closely with the guys at wheelbase and that has become a favourite launch point for skills training days in the south lakes, with wilfs and the fancy artisan baker there for carbohydrate support…
if you want to talk about the kind of things you need to cover then drop me an email chris@cycleactive.co.uk or check the contact numbers etc on the website.
hope this helps.
Chris@CycleActive

most of the folks we coach start off by "bunny hopping" by simply leaping upwards and relying on their grip on the bars and their feet in the spd's to pull the bike up with them.

it's not that hard to master a smooth hop but the biggest problem is usually getting riders to change from pulling to pushing, so that you get a smooth pumped manual for the front wheel to come up followed by either a pumped, pushed or hooked back wheel lift.

that sounds complicated, but it's all progressive stuff and its just about breaking it down. i've taught it to 6 year olds and 60 year olds.

having said all that, i know plenty of great riders here in The Lakes who do some really technical descents off big mountains and they rely more on a smooth manual front lift and just an unweighting of the back end to get through, but that's more on gnarly rocky stuff than log-hops in forests.

Chris@CycleActive

the climbs out of Buith are all pretty good and long, and if you do the full marathon (billed as 100km but actually shorter, as you say) you'll be riding for between 4 and 8 hours depending on whether you are up the front with nick craig (usually finishes after 3.5 hours to 4 hours) or right at the back with the guy on the quad pulling arrows out as you cycle past them…
seriously though, this will be a great event and the new sponsors at Chain Reaction have really boosted the profile and made them bigger than last season. we;re down there doing free coaching sessions on saturday too if you fancy mastering your manuals before the big ride begins.
Chris@CycleActive

we've done a lot of coaching and skills development work with individual racers and some teams and this subject often comes up. I'm also good mates with Rob who manages the Torq team.
the key is to think about what they want and what value they can get from you. forget race results – that's just the start point of a sponsorship deal and is almost a given. if you are approaching your LBS then you need to find out how to get them publicity – in the end giving you money/kit has to equate to more sales.
for example, how often do you get yourself into the local paper? do you do anything with local youth clubs or school cycle clubs that gets you noticed? if you're pure racer and not community minded then you need to figure out how you can make yourself stand out.
also, think about yourself as a brand. are you respected, liked, ignored? sponsorship means they are attaching their reputation to yours – can you expect them to do that? do you turn up early, have a pristine bike, help out other people, make yourself visible at big events?
Over the past 13 years we've worked hard to build our brand and CycleActive is now the most highly sponsored non-racing team of mountain bikers in the UK (you'll see the list on our website). It's great to have such support, but everywhere we go we have to be mindful of it, think about what we wear, what we ride, who we're nice to (everybody, if at all possible!) etc etc. It's a lot of work – ask any pro rider and they'll tell you that keeping your sponsors is almost a full time job in itself.
Chris@CycleActive

agreed on this – you pump/push into the face of jumps/lips or the ground with a snappy forewards push. The instant rebound of the tyre is what gives you lift. Also, by generating lift through push instead of pull the bike and your body are being compressed together so if you ride flats you won't feel the bike drop away – a common problem with puller-uppers.
The old-skool approach is to pull up, but it's what we only coach as a coaster manual and only when we're either running bmx race training or people want to coast through rollers and doubles on their back wheel. Then you keep your upper body strong as your front wheel come up, lean back a little and kick forwards with your feet to keep the back wheel tracking on the ground.
Chris@CycleActive

Cliff Bar just started bringing in some cool new recovery bars. not tasted them yet but if they're as good as the trail bars they may be worth a go.
Chris@CycleActive

@ crasher – just seen your second post there about landing on the front wheel. that's maybe pointing to the need to get your manuals sorted out so you can smoothly lift the front of your bike as it hits the takeoff. again, got some stuff on this if you want it so just let me know yr email and i'll fire it through.
Chris@CycleActive

your position back and forward on the bike changes for different trails – sometimes being on the front of the bike is a good place to be, especially if you're pumping for speed on flowing rollers or fast singletrack.

the problem often comes on trails that are rough or where you're braking, not accelerating, but often that's got a lot to do with foot position as well as body position. most people think about body in isolation but you have to make sure the braking forces get pushed through the bottom of the bike instead of the top/handlebars if you want to be stable and not go over the bars.

I've written some features on this for BikeRadar and I'd be happy to email you the links if that's helpful – fire me a line at chris@cycleactive.co.uk
Cheers
Chris

I was riding on the Malverns yesterday morning and even after the rain the night before conditions were perfect. It was getting a bit dusty and loose before that so the rain has actually allowed some sections to pack down and ride even faster now. I'd say go for it.
Chris@CycleActive

Lake Garda and the Karavenke Alps of northern Slovenia, on the Austrian border, are two of our busiest European destinations and we have great guides based in both locations. No problem to put together a 2 or 3 day guiding programme for you in each, provided that the dates are not already booked up. If it's of interest then just email me direct and I'll get a look when i'm back to work on Tuesday.
Cheers
Chris@CycleActive

Kev, when people put up posts with specific skills questions I try to give specific answers. I do the same for BikeRadar website in a more official capacity as their skills author. But let me ask you a question – as a former ski instructor would you not think that the best way for people to get the right coaching, advice and progressive skills development on skis would be to get a couple of lessons? On this forum you'll come across several skills outfits, of which we at CycleActive are one. I personally have done loads of work with novices, nervous riders and so on and in every case they are making huge skills and confidence gains in just one day.

I know this may come across as a bit salesy but i honestly believe that the very best thing they can do is book a day of coaching between them, or maybe even for the group of you, and treat it as a social as well as an educational experience. If it's with us we're also fully sponsored by Trek so you can stick them on some nice hardtail or full sus 2010 bikes to give them a taster too.OK, advert over.

In the meantime, if you have specific skills questions then stick them up here. the one about the feeling of lack of control when standing up is really common as people are not used to the bike being free to move from side to side under them if they always rode on the road, and sitting down. We usually use slalom, cornering and cone of movement exercises to not only get over this fear, but to begin to see how you can lean and move the bike around to get through the trails and turns more smoothly than just sitting on the saddle.
Cheers
chris@CycleActive

because cycling is so important to you the idea of taking cycling away from his bond with his dad seems like a really bad thing to do. But that's your view not his father's – a lot of dads don't care, even those who cycle. i've taught plenty of kids to ride without stabilisers, the sustrans BikeIt people also do that in schools now all over the uk, and all is good. One friend got me to teach his daughter and had pangs of guilt for about 3 minutes…then me was running around the field like an excited kid himself, following her with his phone on video…all good in the end.
chris@cycleactive

Saddle is currently set right back. will push it fwd and run a 50 stem instead of 70 (have a collection of Thomson Stems

Hope you mean run a 70 instead of a 50? if you're runnin an extra inch of travel in your forks you're losing about a degree off your head angle, pushing that front wheel further ahead of you and reducing the pressure on it. so either go for the longer stem (but that'll also quicken the steering, so you may "snap" into corners harder than you expect and increase the chances of washout) or get onto those bars more.

If you reckon you ride too far back into turns then maybe you don't have enough flex in your arms to lean the bike right over (very common problem: weight back = straighter arms = limited sideways movement), and rely on turning the bars instead. This'll also increase the chances of washout.

If you ride with anyone else regularly get them to session some turns with you and shoot a bit of video on a camera or phone. Amazing what that'll reveal for you.

hope this helps a bit, chris@cycleactive

conditions on the dodd climb are good right now – all the high feel stuff is pretty dry and rideable. suggestion for you if you are running out of time – swing left at stakes pass and descend to the glenridding mines / youth hostel / village that way. the stakes descent is another cracker, new surface high up is sweepy and fast, then lower it gets really rocky and challenging. if you're really tlight on time you can forget the original route and park in glenridding, go up the zigzaps, over raise then down stakes.
one final option is something i heard about someone riding but would never suggest myself, especially at the weekend…swirral edge. it's a footpath, so depends how you feel about trespass, rights of way etc.
chris@cycleactive

first few rides your legs will forget that they need to bend with the trail – they'll be used to the first bit of every impact being taken up by the bike and initially all your normal responses to what's happening between your legs will go crazy.
chris@cycleactive

love the video – ride fast, sit down with one pedal up and one down, line up your skateboards and be 6 years old. taught my kids to jump smoothly when they were 5 and 7 on a little dirt ramp we dug in my dads garden. doesn't have to be high or scary to look at basic techniques – in fact, if you start really small you get rid of all the nerves that can make you stiffen up. Then my little lad decided to show off his regular jumping skills leaping for a bar on the climbing frame at school and broke both bones in his right forearm when he missed – crazy.
chris@cycleactive

you have to accept that improvement comes in waves not straight lines. as long as you wiggle your way up the skill curve then all is good, but don't expect to straight line it to the top. if you want to get "training value" out of a bad day then instead of feeling bad just think through some of the moves that failed you, try and figure out why, and hit them again at the weekend with a focus on technique (ie things you can control) rather than frustration (which you cannot control, it seems!)
good luck, to you and her,
chris@cycleactive

i was up on the east side of kentmere valley riding the singletrack over the green quarter a few days ago and it's in great shape at the moment – unusually dry and fast rolling. if you want to do a garburn loop another option is to start at wheelbase in stavely, up the valley a little wy then across to the dubbs climb, up over garburn and across to kentmere valley then over again towards longsleddale, then head south over green quarter. this will bring you on a fast, flowy grass descent to the top of hp woods which is rocky, technical and a great end to the ride. free parking at the yard by wheelbase and a couple of really good cafes – wilf's and an "artisan baker" if you're more of a toff!

We offer free short sessions at some of the bigger bike events – maybe if she is getting into riding more then a weekend with free coaching on saturday followed by a 25 or 50k marathon on sunday is an idea, and won't cost a lot? check out http://www.mtb-marathon.co.uk as we're at all of those. We also have a range of Lake District and trail centre courses if she wants to learn in a group, but also one-to-one works well…check out http://www.cycleactive.co.uk…feel free to call us if you want to chat through first.

GEDA-looking at your original question it sounds like you are maybe doing a coaster manual rather than pumping to get the front wheel up. Coaster style you use a lot more weight shift of the back/shoulders to get the front wheel up – works when you manual through doubles or cruise down the road. If you want to keep your weight forward try to pump the manual instead – as the front wheel pops up on the rebounnd you push through with hips and feet to get it high, but with your body now over the centre of the bike and not the back wheel.

Just rereading that, its a lot of words and not sure it's easy to translate into real assistance. Basic rule is – get a look at how you manual so you can pop the front wheel up without levering it into the air with all your weight on the back wheel. Then the rest becomes smoother.

Cheers
Chris@CycleActive

@duncan – thanks, that was james richards, right. he's also running some things in cannock this season, as well as his home turf of malvern hills.

@trekster – the risk of injury on a course is very, very small. the whole point of good coaching is that it is progressive, covering the core techniques in a safe and easy-riding environment then building up from there. the rate of progress to more advanced terrain is set by the progress of the clients, and the instructor's ability to gauge that progress, correct their techniques and move people forward safely.

@those people who cannot afford it – a day of skills coaching costs 95 pounds from us, and i'm sure similar elsewhere. Or book James in Cannock with a group of mates and it gets cheaper than that. At some point you cannot invest any more in your bike to make you better – you have to go to the source and invest in yourself. It's well worth it.

Cheers
Chris

couple of simple things to get it roughly right, then fine tune afterwards by how it feels:
first set height so that if you ride around with heels on pedals your legs go about straight, without your hips rocking side to side, at the bottom of the pedal stroke. this way when you move the balls of your feet to the pedals you get a bit of bend.
second get a friend to look at you sitting on the bike with one crank forwards, your friend looking from the side (ideally the opposite side to the foot that is forward). From this position he can see where the spindle from the pedal comes through the crank arm. the front of your knee should be either directly above this point, or an inch or so back from it at most. further forwards and you are pushing backwards when you pedal, which can be bad for your knees, but further back may be ok and is favoured by powerful riders who prefer to push hard.

Thats very rough. If you ride a lot of technical trails you may want to be lower, enduro rides a tiny bit higher. Also, make sure the saddle is pretty much level – in fact it should be a "saddle" with a slight dip in the middle.

Hope this helps.
Chris