Strava - are you hiding your home?
Discussion
Thieves are now using Strava to target riders with expensive bikes as it leads them right them to your door.
http://www.stickybottle.com/latest-news/thieves-us...
But it's easy to create a privacy zone on Strava by logging in, clicking your profile, choosing settings, then privacy and entering a postcode and choosing a radius to not show your route on.
You can choose multiple ones too. so can create ones for work and home etc.
Worth doing - but it looks like you might only be able to do it on the full site, not through the app.
http://www.stickybottle.com/latest-news/thieves-us...
But it's easy to create a privacy zone on Strava by logging in, clicking your profile, choosing settings, then privacy and entering a postcode and choosing a radius to not show your route on.
You can choose multiple ones too. so can create ones for work and home etc.
Worth doing - but it looks like you might only be able to do it on the full site, not through the app.
Yeah, I remember this being highlighted years ago. I also remember having a neighbour that used to park mm from my bumper...
I just stopped and started outside his house for a few weeks until I changed my privacy settings.
That said, I used to have my mates 25 year old mountain bike in my profile picture and don't list my good bike. I think I'm safe..
I just stopped and started outside his house for a few weeks until I changed my privacy settings.
That said, I used to have my mates 25 year old mountain bike in my profile picture and don't list my good bike. I think I'm safe..
All well and good, but apparently its pretty easy to circumvent the privacy measures on Strava, and see where the activity truly ends. That said, if you're on a street like me its not a lot of good for a theif, so if they're really keen on your bike, they're probably just going to watch/wait for you to finish your ride.
I'd be spending more time thinking about getting home security/insurance sorted if this is a concern.
I'd be spending more time thinking about getting home security/insurance sorted if this is a concern.
All well and good - obviously if someone sees you out and about they might get an idea of where you live, but why make it easier?
FWIW, my shed got broken into years ago but when I built it, I cemented an old D lock into the base and locked my bike to that. Luckily, on the night in question, I'd done that, as I didn't always.
I'd obviously been targeted too as out garden was in the middle of a row and backed directly on to other gardens. Whoever the thief was would have had to climb over at least three other gardens to get to mine.
As Tesco used to say: Every little helps.
FWIW, my shed got broken into years ago but when I built it, I cemented an old D lock into the base and locked my bike to that. Luckily, on the night in question, I'd done that, as I didn't always.
I'd obviously been targeted too as out garden was in the middle of a row and backed directly on to other gardens. Whoever the thief was would have had to climb over at least three other gardens to get to mine.
As Tesco used to say: Every little helps.
As do I 
I also don't list the make and model of my bike and I live in a black of flats 
Yurp!
I've got a random bunch of about 5 privacy 'discs' overlapping around my place. I also stop and start my rides on another street within the estate, just in case the privacy zone can be circumvented.
I've chosen "NE55A BR" as my sacrificial lamb. Bless good old 'Nessa, between the butchered plate and the atrocious parking, if anyone deserves a visit from the bogey man in the middle of the night, it's her
Sometimes I stop and start my rides outside "The Worthies" - a two Prius, one Ampera household. If anyone is going to have a fleet of bikes on the estate, it's them!
As for hiding my bike list? Well the 'best' bike is listed as an anagram, so they'd need to be literate, intelligent scumbags. T'other bikes are less desirable anyway.
I've also passed this info on to other Strava users when their home address has stood out like a beacon. Some are grateful to have the info, but I have been told to mind my own business more than once.
I've got a random bunch of about 5 privacy 'discs' overlapping around my place. I also stop and start my rides on another street within the estate, just in case the privacy zone can be circumvented.
I've chosen "NE55A BR" as my sacrificial lamb. Bless good old 'Nessa, between the butchered plate and the atrocious parking, if anyone deserves a visit from the bogey man in the middle of the night, it's her
Sometimes I stop and start my rides outside "The Worthies" - a two Prius, one Ampera household. If anyone is going to have a fleet of bikes on the estate, it's them!
As for hiding my bike list? Well the 'best' bike is listed as an anagram, so they'd need to be literate, intelligent scumbags. T'other bikes are less desirable anyway.
I've also passed this info on to other Strava users when their home address has stood out like a beacon. Some are grateful to have the info, but I have been told to mind my own business more than once.
I used to have this setting enabled but ditched it 'cos it cut out a few choice segments that pass by or start/end near my house that I just happen to have KOMs on and I'm a complete Strava tart so need this to be known to all 
I figured the ability to triangulate 'into' a privacy zone pretty much negates any benefit, especially if your house is set away from any others (mine isn't), although I can see the use in having multiple zones not centred on your house.
Although my bikes are fairly humble anyway, they're just named 'roadie', 'mtb' etc. though, no sense in advertising.
If I was really serious then I'd make my profile private, or just not use Strava at all.
I figured the ability to triangulate 'into' a privacy zone pretty much negates any benefit, especially if your house is set away from any others (mine isn't), although I can see the use in having multiple zones not centred on your house.
Although my bikes are fairly humble anyway, they're just named 'roadie', 'mtb' etc. though, no sense in advertising.
If I was really serious then I'd make my profile private, or just not use Strava at all.
Got to give a bit of FFS to this topic of Thieves using Strava to steal bikes .... Think a bit of reality is needed. 100 times more chance of the Thief spotting you pulling up to your house on bikes... Might as well take a blanket and hide under it when riding within a couple of miles of home.
I think that's a slightly nonsensical thing to be scared of. Or to take evasive precautions that the John le Carre couldn't even follow (yellowjack).
I'm not saying it can't or doesn't happen but you are easily a million times more likely to get it nicked by the dodgy mate of the son of the folk who live across form you or whatever. My last bike was stolen from the actual stairwell of my flat in broad daylight, whilst I was in (FFS!) by pals of the decorators who had been painting the stairwell.
That to me is a far more realistic scenario and I'm not going to waste time and effort hiding myself from potential Strava super-theives.
I'm not saying it can't or doesn't happen but you are easily a million times more likely to get it nicked by the dodgy mate of the son of the folk who live across form you or whatever. My last bike was stolen from the actual stairwell of my flat in broad daylight, whilst I was in (FFS!) by pals of the decorators who had been painting the stairwell.
That to me is a far more realistic scenario and I'm not going to waste time and effort hiding myself from potential Strava super-theives.
http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/13843847.Sto...
Just one of many such warnings from various police forces if you Google. I don't think it's overreacting to at least set up a privacy zone.
Just one of many such warnings from various police forces if you Google. I don't think it's overreacting to at least set up a privacy zone.
ManFromDelmonte said:
When decorators come I always shove my bike up my privacy zone so it's out of the way of prying eyes.
I give them someone else's address and meet them there, and blindfold them for the transit to my property. I won't be caught out again. "Just taking precautions lads" I say, in my best 'tradesman voice' (you all do it) so they know not to pad the invoice.Gassing Station | Pedal Powered | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff