John Snow puts up a £1000 reward for his bike

moonio

Newcaster Jon Snow has put up a £1,000 reward for the return of his bicycle, stolen from outside the Channel 4 newsroom in Grays Inn Road on Monday. "It's another stake to my heart," he says.

The Channel 4 News presenter had just finished Monday evening's edition of the programme.

He describes how, having failed to locate the bicycle on the rack outside the ITN building, "I walked twice round the building, looking for broken locks or the bike itself."

And in a response which anyone who has had a bicycle taken will sympathise with, he recalls: "I wondered whether I parked it somewhere else."

The newscaster has put up a £1,000 reward for the return of the bike.

This is not the first time he has had a bicycle stolen. Last October Jon Snow blogged about the theft of an earlier machine, one that had survived in his possession for a full three years.

On that occasion he concluded: "I hope whoever took it, if they don't give it back, keeps it and treasures it as much as I did."

'Another stake through my heart'

It's happened again, writes Jon Snow.

I unclip my microphone, take out my earpiece, listen to a quick debrief at the end of Channel 4 News, put on my cycle clips, wander out to the street to straddle my trusty steed - and it is gone.

I walk twice round the building looking for broken locks or the bike itself. Then I wonder whether I parked it somewhere else – and I know I didn't. It was on the last hoop, right under the CCTV camera.

Yes, it's gone. And it's another stake through my heart. The sudden loss of independence, mobililty, and that old friend.

And if you think you've read all this before, you have. It happened at the end of last year, but then it was from my block of flats.

It was a beauty - a hand-built, titanium-framed Condor, a too-good-to-hurry-mint bike.

So I've tweeted an offer of £1,000 to get it back. In fact, whoever finds it can have anything they want! (Well, except the bike itself).

Sure, it's insured. But I daren't even begin to tell the people whose craft made it. I sort of think I do not have the freedom to have the bike I deserve (deserve as a doggedly regular cyclist).

There it is: £1,000. It's a hell of a story if it ever comes back!

rjsterry

What a gutter. I still can't quite believe that C4 doesn't have somewhere that he could bring the bike indoors though.

_Brun_

Looking on Condor's website suggests it's a Gran Fondo or similar, which has a frameset price of £1800. Presumably that made the total cost upwards of three grand, and he left it locked in a public place?

It'd be interesting to know what level of security failed to protect that sort of investment.

AndyManc

rjsterry wrote:

What a gutter. I still can't quite believe that C4 doesn't have somewhere that he could bring the bike indoors though.

You would have thought they'd have enough cameras around the place.

It's good PR for any company to have secure facilities for it's cyclists, they should know better.

.

spen666

rjsterry wrote:

What a gutter. I still can't quite believe that C4 doesn't have somewhere that he could bring the bike indoors though.

Its not C4, but ITN I believe. C4 premises are down near Strutton Ground area@ Victoria

moonio

Yes its ITN, and we do have 2 secure bike cages which I've never seen Jon use!!
The racks outside the building are constantly targeted by thieves even though there are security cameras fixed on them.

I've seen kids just cycle over to the racks, remove a front wheel then cycle off.

WesternWay

moonio wrote:

Yes its ITN, and we do have 2 secure bike cages which I've never seen Jon use!!
The racks outside the building are constantly targeted by thieves even though there are security cameras fixed on them.

I've seen kids just cycle over to the racks, remove a front wheel then cycle off.

I applaud him for locking his bike outside. We should not have to take our bikes indoors. IT is not his fault it was nicked.

I massively sympathise with him, it would be a horrible thing to happen, but as a minor, minor point of good news, it does at least raise awareness of bike theft a bit.

Fixxxer87

WesternWay wrote:

I applaud him for locking his bike outside. We should not have to take our bikes indoors. IT is not his fault it was nicked.

Indeed, we shouldn't have to have indoor facilities but that's life. It would be nice if we could leave bikes unattended without fear but living in London (or most places, for that matter) doesn't give that luxury.

I'm grateful my employer encourages cycling and have underground parking.

itsbruce

spen666 wrote:

rjsterry wrote:

What a gutter. I still can't quite believe that C4 doesn't have somewhere that he could bring the bike indoors though.

Its not C4, but ITN I believe. C4 premises are down near Strutton Ground area@ Victoria

Aye, on Horseferry Road. Judging by the huge number of bikes chained to the railings outside, C4 doesn't do secure bike parking.

asprilla

moonio wrote:

Yes its ITN, and we do have 2 secure bike cages which I've never seen Jon use!!
The racks outside the building are constantly targeted by thieves even though there are security cameras fixed on them.

I've seen kids just cycle over to the racks, remove a front wheel then cycle off.

Are ITN in the same building as ITV?

I've got mates there who swear there are no facilities for cyclists. They have all had bikes nicked from outside.

jonny_trousers

John Snow is a god and I wish him all the best in having his bicycle returned, but leaving something of that quality and value outside? Is he completely mental?

Anonymouslemming

Jonny_Trousers wrote:

John Snow is a god and I wish him all the best in having his bicycle returned, but leaving something of that quality and value outside? Is he completely mental?

Yeah - he's like those silly girls who wear short skirts and makeup, and they wonder why they get raped. Foolish things!

Seriously, I hate this mindset that we shouldn't be able to have nice things even if we lock them to something outside and that it's somehow mental to want to be able to ride your bike every day and NOT have it stolen

Motorbikes are worth similar money, and also have excessively high theft rates in London.

spasypaddy

sorry he locked up a titanium condor in the street. was always going to get stolen.

Splottboy

Right then, that's the news...now here's the weather forecast.

jonny_trousers

Double post

jonny_trousers

Jonny_Trousers wrote:

Jonny_Trousers wrote:

John Snow is a god and I wish him all the best in having his bicycle returned, but leaving something of that quality and value outside? Is he completely mental?

Anonymouslemming wrote:

Yeah - he's like those silly girls who wear short skirts and makeup, and they wonder why they get raped. Foolish things!

Oh please; that comparison is utterly ridiculous.

Seriously, I hate this mindset that we shouldn't be able to have nice things even if we lock them to something outside and that it's somehow mental to want to be able to ride your bike every day and NOT have it stolen

Listen, Jon Snow should be able to leave his bike outside with a luggage tag attached to it saying "This bike belongs to Jon; please do not steal it!" and it still be there when he's done reading the news, but we live in a country where little scrotes will gladly take other people's valuable property without batting an eyelid. There's nothing mental about the ideology that your personal property should be safe when locked up outside, but it is somewhat naive to assume it will be (particularly when you have already had a bicycle stolen from the exact same spot in the past).

I'm certainly not suggesting that Mr Snow should give up riding into work, or that he should no longer chain his bike up outside, but to leave such a valuable bicycle in such a vulnerable position?

Motorbikes are worth similar money, and also have excessively high theft rates in London.

True, but they are harder to steal and harder to then sell on. Therefore only appealing to the professional thief.

Where your ideology is concerned I'm with you all the way comrade, but if it were my 3 grand, titanium framed Condor at stake... call me an old cynic, but it would not be left chained up outside where theft has occurred before.

Headhuunter

Gotta say, locking a £3k bike up in the street is asking for it. I felt a bit worried locking my new Ribble up outside and that only cost £560! I have been used to riding sub £200 knock about bikes into town. I would never leave my carbon Focus Cayo locked out in the open and that was "only" £1k. It's not his fault and we should be able to lock whatever bike we wish outside without fear, but in reality it's always going to be a thief magnet. Especially if he regularly locks it in the same place with the same locks, week in, week out.

dilemna

Was the CCTV camera looking over his bike working?

fossyant

He needs a better lock or two !

Zombie_donkey

If he does get it back you will, from then on, see it propped up against the set behind his desk when he reads the news.

Christophe3967

I'm amazed that he hasn't made this (secure parking) an issue. Or perhaps he had tried and was defeated by the elf n safety gestapo that proliferate in many large organisations. If Boris wants to do something to really help cyclists, he could start by working out how to provide secure cycle parking / storage for those cycling commuters thwarted by their employers. A trip to Mud Dock in Bristol to see how it might work would be a good start...

moonio

There is secure parking where he works..he just doesn't use it.

rjsterry

moonio wrote:

There is secure parking where he works..he just doesn't use it.

That is just a bit daft.

asprilla

moonio wrote:

There is secure parking where he works..he just doesn't use it.

Perhaps he doesn't know. As I mentioned before, he wouldn't be the first cyclist at 200 Grey's Inn who has had their bike nicked form outside because they don't know about the bike parking.

As mentioned before, several of my mates who were at ITV swear there were no facilities at all.

moonio

That's nonsense, the secure cycle cages are opposite the bike racks in the street, most people who cycle in know exactly where the cages are but refuse to use them.

I know of many people who have suffered thefts from the racks and they are all aware of the secure parking.

Also Jon Snow has use of the secure underground parking that all the top level staff can use...

moonio

Here is one of the secure cages...if you pan the picture you can see the non secure street parking around it.

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&q=Gough+St,+Camden,+London+WC1X,+United+Kingdom&ie=UTF8&cd=2&geocode=FQwzEgMd20D-_w&split=0&sll=53.800651,-4.064941&sspn=6.881357,14.941406&hq=&hnear=Gough+St,+London+WC1X,+United+Kingdom&ll=51.528784,-0.114477&spn=0,0.019205&z=16&layer=c&cbll=51.523587,-0.114634&panoid=gdSC_KzDCDrpN8rvXWmqdA&cbp=12,356.72,,1,16.77

Jay dubbleU

In an ideal world you would be able to leave a 3000quid bike anywhere unlocked - however given the chav factor I don't think I'd want to leave any bike on those bike racks on the pavement - certainly not at night - sad - hope it turns up but it's probably been stripped for parts and sold on ebay by now

_Brun_

He was spotted riding a hybrid this morning, and apparently smiling. Lost his marbles is my guess.

asprilla

moonio wrote:

That's nonsense, the secure cycle cages are opposite the bike racks in the street, most people who cycle in know exactly where the cages are but refuse to use them.

I know of many people who have suffered thefts from the racks and they are all aware of the secure parking.

Also Jon Snow has use of the secure underground parking that all the top level staff can use...

So why don't people use them if they know they are there?

moonio

Because they are human..

mybreakfastconsisted

There is no way I'd leave my £1000 bike locked up on a public street, it's daft.