Thieves using Strava to track your bike

[StuUngar]

A recent story in my local paper where a guy had a £3500 bike nicked, from his locked shed and behind a locked gate.

The fact that the guy put his £3500 bike in a shed is by the by. He reckons that he was followed by "white van men" back to his house. But still put his £3500 bike in a shed. OK then.

I decided to test the theory out that thieves are using Strava and was amazed at the results. Over 137 rides in my local area over 60 miles in the last week. They had conveniently shown me their routes. And their start and finish destination.

Generally people riding over 60 miles aren't going to be doing it on a piece of sh1t. As a result I always start my Garmin 1/2 - 1 mile away from home and end it there too.

Just a word of caution really. Don't make scumbag thieves jobs easy for them!

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

That is why strava has a privacy zone.

In fact I have two set

 

[Brandane]

You can set Strava so that it doesn't let Joe Public see your route within a certain distance of your home address. Privacy zone I think it's called.

Edit... Beaten to it again!

 

[StuUngar]

You can set Strava so that it doesn't let Joe Public see your route within a certain distance of your home address. Privacy zone I think it's called.

Edit... Beaten to it again!

All good an well - obviously the guy who kept his £3500 bike in a shed didn't know this. Nor the people that I searched for very easily.

 

[Crackle]

I hope the bloke who's house I start and stop mine outside doesn't have a good bike.

 

[jayonabike]

I have the perfect solution to this problem. I don't use Strava.

 

[Brandane]

All good an well - obviously the guy who kept his £3500 bike in a shed didn't know this. Nor the people that I searched for very easily.

I wasn't trying to be flippant about the theft; just pointing out that privacy zone setting is a useful tool for anyone who doesn't know about it until reading this thread.

 

[ohnovino]

I use the privacy zone but I don't really trust it, so I also crop the start & end of my rides before uploading them. Sometimes that means my rides start outside the local police station!

 

[HorTs]

I don't have a privacy zone but only allow people to view my rides who follow me, and then only allow people to follow me who I authorise.

 

[ohnovino]

I don't have a privacy zone but only allow people to view my rides who follow me, and then only allow people to follow me who I authorise.

I think people can still see your rides if they feature on a leaderboard, even if they're not following you: more info here

 

[HLaB]

That is why strava has a privacy zone.

In fact I have two set

I upload to RWGPS and GC but keep rides private or crop them, whilst STRAVA isnt that good data wise (in the free version at least) knowing I have privacy zones lets me upload and forget.

 

[HorTs]

I think people can still see your rides if they feature on a leaderboard, even if they're not following you: more info here

That look like the case. Being slow has some benefits then.

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

I think people can still see your rides if they feature on a leaderboard, even if they're not following you: more info here

But detail is limited. Hardly an issue with privacy zones.

 

[HLaB]

I have the perfect solution to this problem. I don't use Strava.

Not the perfect solution as Crackle suggests, some with STRAV just happens to start their gps out side your house

I hope the bloke who's house I start and stop mine outside doesn't have a good bike.

 

[StuUngar]

I hope the bloke who's house I start and stop mine outside doesn't have a good bike.

Whereas I hope wherever I do start it do have a good bike, but more importantly, if they have a good bike then they keep it securely.

If my bike was worth £3500 it would be in the bedroom tied to my plonker!

The point I am trying to make is don't give thieves any easy info. And if you do have expensive bikes & stuff make sure your security is top drawer. There have been a few cases aka "insurance jobs" recently - and when you read how they "secured" their bikes it makes you wonder.

Unfortunately as a victim of bike theft I now have a bike thief's mentality. And if I was that way inclined probably only £100 is all it would take for me to nick most bikes I see.

Just a heads up really.