Apps being used to steal bikes

[steveindenmark]

This is one of the headlines on Danish news tonight.

Mobile phone ApS like Strava and Endomondo are being used by thieves to target riders and their bikes.

The news highlighted a woman who had recently ridden a charity ride from Denmark to Paris. She had posted photos of the ride on FB along with photos of her bike.

Im not sure how the thieves put all this together, but they did.

The news suggested that you dont start your recording devices at your doorstep but away from the house.

 

[Drago]

Certainly in the UK there hasn't been a spike in thefts that corresponds with the popularity of such apps. The case for the prosecution is vastly overstated.

 

[classic33]

Thought Strava suggested you start away from your house or where your bike was stored for this reason.

 

[Drago]

I always start my gps on someone elses driveway for that very reason.

 

[jonny jeez]

Old news , sorry

Activate your privacy mode in Strava, to limit anyone seeing the last And first I'm of your rides.

Not available on other tracking sites like ride with goS or garmin connect I'm afraid.

 

[Arthur]

RideWithGPS has just introduced a feature to mask your home location when your ride is viewed publicly if you start or finish a ride from home.

 

[Tin Pot]

It's common sense not to publish your routes to the world, but as Drago suggests the story is melodrama.

Of all the bikes stolen, how many are idiots breaking into garages and how many are organised criminals tracking people online?

 

[TissoT]

I have stopped posting on strava for this reason .. Mrs tissot is worried about being broken into "Again"

 

[mjr]

It's common sense not to publish your routes to the world, but as Drago suggests the story is melodrama.

Of all the bikes stolen, how many are idiots breaking into garages and how many are organised criminals tracking people online?

In the early days of Strava, a young racing star in Somerset told local press that he thought thieves had figured out his home from his posted rides, they knew who his bike sponsor was and left the more customised one (a TT bike, I think).

Not heard of it recently. Didn't websites like RobMeNow and www.pleaseRobMe.com wake most people up?

 

[Milkfloat]

If I were to start stealing bikes I would follow on strava a lot of Londoners with nice bikes and work out a pattern of where they ride. Best of all would be if they did not have privacy features as then I would scope out their bike storage via street view / satellite imagery, looking for the ones that store their bike in a shed. If they did have privacy on, then I would check for patterns when they ride and intercept them to follow them. Either that or hang around in Richmond Park and follow from there.

Have I thought about this too much?

 

[Tin Pot]

In the early days of Strava, a young racing star in Somerset told local press that he thought thieves had figured out his home from his posted rides, they knew who his bike sponsor was and left the more customised one (a TT bike, I think).

Not heard of it recently. Didn't websites like RobMeNow and www.pleaseRobMe.com wake most people up?

I think I heard about that, but can't speak to the facts.

People can't help creating stories about things they have no idea how they occurred.

Most of the time victims know the thieves.

Is it possible that this happened? Yes.

Are other scenarios more likely? Yes.

 

[Tin Pot]

If I were to start stealing bikes I would follow on strava a lot of Londoners with nice bikes and work out a pattern of where they ride. Best of all would be if they did not have privacy features as then I would scope out their bike storage via street view / satellite imagery, looking for the ones that store their bike in a shed. If they did have privacy on, then I would check for patterns when they ride and intercept them to follow them. Either that or hang around in Richmond Park and follow from there.

Have I thought about this too much?

Only that you've forgotten the scenario in which you became a thief. Unlikely whilst on cyclechat with a small plate of lasagne verde, and a selection of waitrose olives.

You lost your respect for other human beings at an early age, you no longer have a concept of ownership, and consequently you do not believe other people have a right to the things they have obtained.

You might have started stealing because you wanted things you couldn't have, but now you steal because you rarely get caught and if you have been caught you don't get punished - and let's not forget those drugs you have a right to keep taking, eh? Whose going to pay for those? Not you obviously.

So whilst you might go online trying to think of ingenious ways of stealing stuff, you're more likely wandering the streets looking for opportunity to present itself.

I've listened to druggies thinking up criminal mastermind plans. There's not much to be afraid of.

 

[Stephenite]

Norway, March this year three Polish fellas were found guilty of stealing 141 bikes worth about £300,000 over a period of 17 months. The police reckon the thieves harvested names from race/ride result lists. Two were sentenced to seven years, one to three. The police did a very thorough job investigating this (The Wire style) but, i don't think, they managed to prove how the thieves picked their targets.

There's a summary of what the investigation entailed in this news article here: http://www.aftenposten.no/nyheter/iriks/Pagrepet-med-atte-proffsykler-skjult-under-dobbeltsengen-7675979.html It's in norwegian I could run it through google translate and post if anyones interested. But that would be tomorrow as i'm going to bed now.

 

[postman]

I don't use Strava or upload any details of my ride.

I tell everyone that I live I Finchley but really I live in Bognor

I tell everyone i live in Meanwood i actually live in Harewood House.

 

[Dan B]

I tell everyone that I live I Finchley but really I live in Bognor

I look pretty young but I'm just backdated