Sorry if this has been done already, but Strava users might want to read this from Total Women’s Cycling.

The gist of it is that someone was spooked by a rider knowing her name and route and possibly where she lived as a result of the FlyBy feature on Strava. Obviously there’s a privacy issue there but also potentially a security one.

FlyBy is the new thing that lets you track the course of people who’ve been running or riding close to your own activity btw.

You can turn FlyBy off in the security settings, but it’s switched on by default even if you have the enhanced privacy setting on your account switched on. It’s also hard to work out whether privacy zones are effective in FlyBy, I’m thinking not, but there doesn’t seem to be any explicit information on the Strava site, which is a bit irritating.

So, if you’re a Strava user and concerned about security/privacy, it might be worth turning your FlyBy visibility off until things are a bit clearer. I kind of think it should be ‘off’ by default rather than on anyway.

Doesn’t change anything you’re saying – but Flyby’s been there for a long time now. It was previously a “Strava Labs” project – all that changed recently is there was a button added to the main activity page (and, I guess, the privacy settings).

quick search back through the I saw a nice girl out on the ride today….

Even with flyby off if you publish your rides you can be seen. A quick search of a segment by women in an age range who rode it in the last week will show the same.

Been meaning to look into this. I’ve been able to view all the flyby routes I’ve checked but I presume 90% of users don’t use the privacy setting, but did wonder if it may be due to flyby circumventing privacy – but like I said didn’t actually test. Wasn’t too fussed when flyby was a labs thing but now it’s on the main page I’m more concerned. (possibly over active paranoia, possibly not)

To be fair, if privacy is your thing, then Strava probably isnt for you!

yeah just had a look at flybys from this morning, some I can see todays route and all their previous (presumably not set privacy) others I can only see todays route – so privacy set but flybys ignores that. Wonder whether it ignores “hidden locations” aswell? Dunno how to test for that.

To be fair, if privacy is your thing, then Strava probably isnt for you!

same as anything online you know your info is on there and potentially viewable but you still want to restrict what joe public can see.

<edit> flyby only has “everybody” and “nobody”, wonder why the didn’t have a followers option.

Sounds like another “girls have problems, boys are problems” bit of everyday sexism. Will Hora be turning it off to avoid being chased down Jacobs Ladder by a load of lovelies like his TV doppelganger?

Although it is a bit creepy, I don’t see the issue with a cyclist knowing somebody else’s name. If I really wanted to know where somebody lives, I could follow them home.

Also, if I was going to steal a bike, I could find easier ways than cycling around the countryside hoping to pass somebody on Strava running, with this feature enabled, so I could go home and work out where they live so I could go there and rob their bike.

The other thing is if I have the feature enabled so I can work out somebodies name, they can do the same for me.

Nothing wrong with being cautious but I think there are bigger things to worry about than this.

Rightly or wrongly, I Strava my commute. I like to tot up my cycling miles. My account is locked down, and I’ve now done the security setting on Fly Bys. Obviously I am totally glamorous, particularly in my commuting clothes (not) and my commuter bike is worth shed loads (not), but somehow the fear that someone outside of those I let in, can see where I’m likely to be at a regular time is slightly disconcerting. It gave me paranoid visions of someone lying in wait to biff me off the tow path into the canal and whip the bike away.

just to prove a point…

Picked a segment
https://www.strava.com/segments/8587153
quick check will show who rode it this morning, 5 mins will get me names and times they pass through.
I can also filter for slightly overweight middle aged MAMIL’s if thats my thing I I probably have a list of STW commuters, I could also filter to see which ones I could probably catch and overtake.

I love the Flyby feature!

A couple of weeks ago, on the 7am commute, a bloke flew past me in full Strava mode, shouting “on your right” as he passed me and clearly taking full advantage of the strong tailwind that morning. Flyby meant that, when I got to work, I could find him and rib him about the fact that he only got 5th on the segment (and that my QOM was still faster!) 😀

Rightly or wrongly, I Strava my commute. I like to tot up my cycling miles. My account is locked down, and I’ve now done the security setting on Fly Bys. Obviously I am totally glamorous, particularly in my commuting clothes (not) and my commuter bike is worth shed loads (not), but somehow the fear that someone outside of those I let in, can see where I’m likely to be at a regular time is slightly disconcerting. It gave me paranoid visions of someone lying in wait to biff me off the tow path into the canal and whip the bike away.

Or I could just google you? Your name and city are in your profile, your more exact location is in the “would you move to be near better riding” thread, your address is (probably) in the phone book, and we now know you commute along the canal from there.

[goes to hide in the bushes by the canal]

I don’t like it. Strava are aware of the security issues and a lot of people are requesting an ‘opt out’ option that I would use for sure. Right now the only opt out is to make all rides private. A lot of people’s argument is Strava should be social with people of your choosing, not anyone who passes you.

https://strava.zendesk.com/entries/61146874-Feedback-for-the-Flyby-feature

It’s also hard to work out whether privacy zones are effective in FlyBy, I’m thinking not, but there doesn’t seem to be any explicit information on the Strava site, which is a bit irritating.

Privacy zones do work in Flybys. I tested it by having a look at yesterday’s club intervals and watching people (who I already know where they live!) head home afterwards. Privacy zone kicked in just short of their actual address just like viewing the individual activity 🙂

Right now the only opt out is to make all rides private.

Not at all true. Flyby privacy is a separate setting under the Privacy tab (as discussed in the article linked in the first post). You can opt out of the Flyby feature without making everything private.

Freester, nothing has changed, the same data is still public it’s just presented in a different way.

The rider complained that anyone could find out her full name.

She shouldn’t have her full name on strava anyway for burglary prevention reasons IMO.

I find the flyby feature interesting but can see that it’s fraught with potential issues. Even if mostly theoretical.

They should introduce a swipe left/right function and expand their site function even further.

Risks seem very low to me, there are some but you are probably more likely to be hurt in a crash than hurt by some nut using strava.

To me it seems to me the Flyby feature isn’t the issue – like all social media (which Strava is, at least vaguely anyway) people freely and enthusiastically put lots of personal information on the internet for people to see – and then are horrified when people see it.

Strava users give their name, usually a picture and age group, even weight and height and detailed GPS logs of their location at certain times – there’s nothing hidden or ‘dodgy’ about it, it’s very clear for all users to work out within a few moments of first using it. No one is forcing anyone to do it, you could sign in with a fake name, post no picture and make all if, if not all, of your details private – but most don’t because they want to show off.

Or I could just google you?

Ah, I see. You’re right. Done some changing as a result – changed STW profile name, changed Strava name … address not in phone book.

Flyby is a vaguely useful novelty thing. I quite like it for re-playing races in a speeded-up whizzy icon style and seeing where you are fast/slow and where your mates/other race folk are fast/slow.

Not overly useful any other time imo and since the feature appeared, Mrs Yak did get some follow requests from folk we don’t know. Maybe coincidence, but we’ve since turned it off in the privacy settings. Yes, all the info is there anyway and you can find anyone if you are determined, but the flyby just makes it a few clicks quicker to find someone.

I would like to see it default as off, but be able to turn it on a ride per ride basis.

I would like to see it default as off, but be able to turn it on a ride per ride basis.

I’d like it to have an option of “only people following me” rather than the blanket everyone or no-one choices.

using your full name, not setting hidden zones (around your house/work/etc) and letting anyone see your rides is (potentially atleast) pretty daft. Flyby is a pretty minor addition, except that it circumvents the privacy setting.

I’ve got privacy set, if you ride passed me I’m quite happy for the section of route where we are in close proximity to show up on your flyby feed, I’m less happy about you being able to see my full route when I’ve specifically chosen not to share that info to all and sundry. Especially as it seems you can be a street or two away to appear on flyby.

Hidden zones appear to be unaffected. I’m not shitting a brick about it, still annoying tho.

I’d like it to have an option of “only people following me” rather than the blanket everyone or no-one choices.

Yeah, me too. Right now it’s either on or off and I’d like to know when people I know have just missed crushing me on another climb.

There’s a fine balance between paranoia and reasonable desire for privacy. All I ask is that things like Strava and FB are reasonably transparent about how much information I share publicly and ideally give me the choice as soon as a new feature is introduced.

I started the thread not because I’m particularly bothered myself, living as I do under an assumed identity in an MI5 safe house/nuclear bunker ‘somewhere in Europe’ with 24-hour armed protection and an advanced Strava stealth cloaking device, but because I know some people are quite sensitive about this stuff.

I just know now that someone will point out that a list of MI5 safe houses is readily available online and that my exact geographical location is signalled in my Tinder profile, which I’ve inadvertently linked to in the STW forum profile via my blog etc. Speaking of which, when is Strava going to to Tinder for bikers… 😉

The real loophole that Strava has is that it does have a setting to require you to confirm people who want to follow you (and which therefore restricts them from browsing profiles and seeing what you are up to), but it still requires you to make your rides / runs private if you want them hidden from the public, so if you are stalked via a segment (for a nefarious individual living on a major road, it would be trivial to create a segment which “captured” every Strava’d rider passing your house each day) your activity details can be seen.

The issue with fly-by is that most people didn’t really realise that in the first place, so thought that they were quite private on Strava, when in fact they are not.

It’s a necessary consequence of segments and league tables – you can’t on the one hand publish “public” league tables (and have people who want to participate in such an activity) and then simultaneously keep the details very private.

you do know that strava isn’t compulsory?

i’m not sure i care…

I love the Flyby feature!
A couple of weeks ago, on the 7am commute, a bloke flew past me in full Strava mode, shouting “on your right” as he passed me and clearly taking full advantage of the strong tailwind that morning. Flyby meant that, when I got to work, I could find him and rib him about the fact that he only got 5th on the segment (and that my QOM was still faster!)

I approve of this. 😀

The rest, not bothered.

I am being followed by someone on Strava that has no activities logged,nothing!.
No miles running or cycling,and I am the only person he is following 😯
Wot’s all that about then?
I live in constant fear of a man (or woman ) called Gareth 🙂

For the record, I am happy with the privacy compromises that Strava has to suffer because I like Strava – it adds fun to runs and rides. Plus it helps that I’m not one of those with multiple (or indeed any!) £X,000 bikes, so if our garage was ever plundered for our equipment there wouldn’t be much in it for them.

I have a fictional name on Strava. Mainly because I wasn’t prepared to admit to my other half that I’d become a user.

(It’s ok. I have now. He has a fictional identity too.)

I quite like nicking QOMs from people who take it *all too seriously* with my silly name.

Blimey, there’s a lot of excessively paranoid people on here.

I’m surprised some of you can even make it out of the house.

I guess i’ll stick this ‘non-issue’ in the DGAF portion of my brain.

Hob Nob

Is your real name Gareth ?

🙂

Ha, maybe – but that would spoil your fun…

I get random kudos too, I just assume it’s like facebook and some people just ‘like’ everything more as a ‘tick to say I’ve read it’ than any actual intent. But then I’m quite sociable and ride a fat bike so it’s entirely possible I did infact stop and talk to them.

I am being followed by someone on Strava that has no activities logged,nothing!.
No miles running or cycling,and I am the only person he is following
Wot’s all that about then?
I live in constant fear of a man (or woman ) called Gareth

It’s either:
a) your wife checking up on where you’ve been to make sure you’re not *ahhhemmm* somewhere else.
b) your wife checking what time you’ll be home so she can kick Gareth out the back door.

Speaking of which, when is Strava going to to Tinder for bikers…

I can imagine the messages flashing up now:

“The fatty breathing heavily behind you know’s you’re single, pedal harder!”

“single chick commuting behind you, sit up and coast”

All this Strava nonsense is pathetic. No one really cares about your feeble little segment times. Or where you cycle.

Some people may even start dressing to impress 🙂

All this Strava nonsense is pathetic. No one really cares about your feeble little segment times. Or where you cycle.

Aren’t you a lovely little cuddly troll 🙂

Think I might sign up again as Busty Mc Busty see who follows me