[Closed] Strava - Activity privacy settings must be marked "Everyone"

Only those rides

I suspect the first.
If it's just this activity with s mate, then maybe set up a new account for it?

Just seems a bit wrong that randomly picking on one of the 54,000 within 20 seconds I can pinpoint where they live and see pics of nice bikes. How can I avoid this myself?
Currently only Followers for everything with big heatmap and no-one for flyby.

Just seems a bit wrong that randomly picking on one of the 54,000 within 20 seconds I can pinpoint where they live and see pics of nice bikes. How can I avoid this myself?

Set up a privacy zone around your house. Might need to be pretty big if you live in the country but if you live in a town or city then a kilometre or so should be enough. Note that you won't appear on the leaderboard on any segments within that zone unless your ride starts and finishes outside it.

As for photos of nice bikes: don't upload them.

What sort of challenge is it? One event or cumulative total like a distance/climbing challenge?

I'd say privacy settings have got a lot better in Strava. You should be able to set your profile i.e. personal info and pics to only followers and keep activities private except those you want to include in challenge; just edit individual activities to visible.

You can change it so all your individual rides are private and only group rides visible which is good for single events.

Also make sure you have privacy zones setup around your home to stop people finding your address.

Cycle Surgery 75 Mile Challenge - cumulative total like a distance/climbing challenge.

This page describes what will appear according to your settings - https://support.strava.com/hc/en-us/articles/115000164850

Trying this
Adjusting Individual Activities
The individual activity privacy controls are also available on the upload page on mobile and web.
On the web, go to the activity and select 'Edit' (pencil icon.) Select 'Privacy Controls' to choose between 'Everyone,' 'Only You' or 'Followers.'
Seems to work well, on challenge but secure enough and can chose which rides to make public on a 1:1 basis. Thanks all.

I think you can setup as many privacy zones as you want, so I've got them setup for home, work, relatives I regularly cycle to, places I regularly holiday, etc, not sure if there's a limit.

Thanks Whitestone - your link put me in the right direction.

Just be aware that privacy zones only work when rides begin or end within them.

Say for example you have one set up around your home, go for a ride, get a mile down the road, realise that you have forgotten something so pop back home again to pick it up before continuing the ride. Your little stop will be visible.

Equally, if you have privacy zones around work /friends houses but stop by /collect them mid ride then those locations will also show.

Also worth removing your rides from the heat map. It doesn't seem to respect the privacy zones so can have your home glowing on the map.

Fake name too as it would be easy to correlate a person’s name to an address within a privacy zone.

Is there actually any evidence of Strava being used as a tool by international gangs of elite bike thieves? (Other than a few click-bait articles?)

Not sure about elite thieves but I can find where posh bikes of strangers live via Strava without much effort.

Fake name Scuttler - yep had that sorted.
Just one more question... I currently have a wide privacy zone - which I, of course, do not see.
However - does everyone else see loads of rides magically starting and ending all around the circumference of a virtual circle, hence making actual location of start and home a simple middle of circle calculation?
(I might be overthinking this whole Strava privacy thing)

Just have a couple of privacy zones which are close to, but not actually at your home adddress. I do think you area bit paranoid TBH. The thieves are far more likely to just follow you home or clock you as you open the garage.

@Wally The privacy zones are not centred on your address (or the point you click on). There is an element of randomness when they are created to prevent the issue your describing.