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So, yesterday I received an "uh oh" email - nothing out of the ordinary there (except that I have so few KOMs that I very, very rarely get them, let alone lose them!). Obviously I took a quick glance to see who had beaten me, and noticed that this was a long segment and that I'd been beaten by a country mile. Ho hum, not that surprising that there are people out there much fitter than me.
Then I sat up - this particular segment was created by me to track a specific route that I like riding around my home as it's a convenient way to monitor my performance over several years. While it's not that unusual for someone else to ride it, I do tend to know most of them but I didn't recognise this name. So I looked at their ride and a couple of things immediately stood out:
1. It started at my house. Literally, it started at the top of my drive outside of my garage!
2. It rode the exact route that I have ridden many times before and that I'm pretty sure only I would do, including a few cheeky footpath shortcuts here and there
3. The speed was constant. Not 100% constant, but certainly enough that it looks very odd when overlaid with the elevation profile:
My own profile is set to private, but I notice that a friend has previously ridden this ride with me from my house and his profile is public, so it's possible (I guess) that someone has downloaded his ride, modified the speed in a sufficiently random way to convince Strava that it was a real ride and then manually uploaded it.
I'm not a segment chaser (frankly, I'm too slow!), but this is a bit concerning, not least because it specifically starts and ends at my house which I'm a little uncomfortable about given that my own Strava profile is locked down.
I've flagged it (the only option available really), but I'd be interested to know if anyone else has experienced anything similar.
Digital EPO or similar http://www.scarletfire.co.uk/how-to-tell-if-someone-used-digital-epo-to-cheat-on-strava/
Just delete the segment, and replace it with a private segment. Then it will only be visible to you, and only include your results.
Digital EPO or similar http://www.scarletfire.co.uk/how-to-tell-if-someone-used-digital-epo-to-cheat-on-strava/
Not quite the same as it's not simply boosted, but the speed is more flattened out to a (not quite) constant value. I'm also intrigued as to how they got hold of the route, considering that my account is private...
Being honest, I'm more concerned about the privacy implications than anything to do with KOMs.
When I create a route on bikehike I have to upload it as a gpx file to Garmin connect, then save it as a course to be able to download it to my Garmin by Bluetooth. Garmin thinks it is a ride I've just done and sends it to Strava with a constant average speed. I always delete it quickly but often get a kom on it if there is a slow or uphill segment. Perhaps that is the case here, or something similar
On a general note: I always ask friends who visit my house during a ride to set a privacy zone around my house but not centered on it.
Someone you know creating a "Ride From Daern's House" ride is a bit compromising!
Yes, that's possible I guess - except that I don't know how they'd have got hold of this route from...
As a note, Garmin Connect now lets you import a course directly from a GPX now. You're forgiven for not noticing it though as it's very easy to overlook!
You can also use gimporter and gexporter if you have a recent (IQ) device and an Android phone:
https://apps.garmin.com/en-US/apps/de11adc4-fdbb-40b5-86ac-7f93b47ea5bb. This has the advantage of not needing an internet connection to get the GPX from phone to device, so is useful for plotting a route on (for example) ViewRanger on your phone and then copying across.
On a general note: I always ask friends who visit my house during a ride to set a privacy zone around my house but not centered on it.
Someone you know creating a “Ride From Daern’s House” ride is a bit compromising!
Up until now, I'd never thought about it, but I will now...!
If its a public segment, then anyone else can view it, and they will see your top results. So they could view any of those rides. Unless you tick the option for "Hide from segment leaderboards".
For privacy zones, note they only apply to the start and end of a ride. So if someone else visits your house halfway through the ride, it won't be hidden. Even if they have setup a privacy zone.
If its a public segment, then anyone else can view it, and they will see your top results. So they could view any of those rides. Unless you tick the option for “Hide from segment leaderboards”.
I don't think this is correct. On mine, my results on the leaderboard is visible but when you click through to the ride, you don't get to see it unless you are following me. My rides are not hidden from leaderboards in the privacy settings.
Surely if it starts at your house and you have privacy set you shouldnt be the KOM, I thought Strava removed you from any segments within your privacy zone?
Does it really matter? Strava is so full of inconsistencies and cheats I don't know why anyone even bothers using it for anything more than a log for activities.
Surely if it starts at your house and you have privacy set you shouldnt be the KOM, I thought Strava removed you from any segments within your privacy zone?
The segment doesn't start or end anywhere near my house, but it's probably 80% of a 20 mile ride. When you click through you can see the detailed ride which shows the incongruities above.
I've just checked a few of my local segments. Look at the leaderboard, then click on the date. It will show the full ride. Works for all of the rides I have looked at, even for people I am not following.
I’ve just checked a few of my local segments. Look at the leaderboard, then click on the date. It will show the full ride. Works for all of the rides I have looked at, even for people I am not following.
It depends on their privacy settings - most people still run Strava completely open, where you can follow someone without permission. In my case, I'm running Enhanced Privacy, but with all of the individual elements unticked. This means I get:
- Your name will be anonymized (e.g. Bob C) to all logged out athletes.
- Athletes must request approval to follow you
- Hides activities on your profile page from non-followers
Edit: So, I've created an account and it does indeed work as you say, although obviously any privacy zones you have set up are respected. But any rides visible on leader boards are visible (to some degree) by a non-following rider.
That said, they couldn't have used this to extract my route as the uploaded route includes detail from inside the privacy zone.
Have your mates got your postcode in their list of privacy zones?
And vice-versa