Strava challenges & public profile

[SheWasWalking]

Does anyone feel like they're excluded from the full range of strava challenges, as a woman, because they don't want to make their profile public? (And share their route maps, run times etc).

All the news this week has made me think about the things I do to keep myself safe. And one of these is not being able to fully participate in sporting events (yes, just little online ones) because of being female.

Does anyone else feel like this?

[disclaimer: serial name changer, been here since 2010]

Yes.

I don't take part in any sportives or challenges that involve GPS because of the security aspect. It's maddening. I'm considering Peleton and I think I mightn't get the value as I'd never want to have my name or GPS information to be able to be in the leagues or challenges.

I won't track my swims or paddling times in a kayak because so many of the areas are isolated.

I definitely get you, OP.

What I really want, is for this to be an issue for enough women that Strava have to do something.

I did email them. And they brushed me off. You know in that 'oh don't be silly, it's fine' way we all get from someone when we say we don't feel safe doing something.

I stopped using strava for cycling years back when I was got and healthy because of the privacy issue. I have a need to be anon - even not using a real name online won’t stop someone who’s motivated enough. It’s a shame they still don’t take privacy seriously.

It’s a shame they still don’t take privacy seriously.

Nor that their attitude is depriving them of useful knowledge about a customer base and market segment.

You can anonymize your profile and you can set a pretty large grey area around your home, like multiple kilometres. I think there are far easier ways for you to become a target.

I think the reason they require public is so that others can check the ride, otherwise it makes cheating a lot more easy.

@MrGHardy

You can anonymize your profile and you can set a pretty large grey area around your home, like multiple kilometres. I think there are far easier ways for you to become a target.

I think the reason they require public is so that others can check the ride, otherwise it makes cheating a lot more easy.

Thanks, I didn't realise the privacy ring could go so big.

Who needs to check anything? I can get in the car and record data. No ones going to check it.
The data doesn't need to be public.

Definitely set up your privacy locations. You make multiple addresses private. You can also disable fly-bys that show you where other users were during your activity. Also don't put in a full description of your kit( bicycles/runners etc.) Apparently they have been used by thieves to target equipment worth stealing.

Otherwise I've used it since 2012 with no issues.

I have a nickname on my profile and the privacy thing. I have beacon set up as I am a subscriber but I saw something yesterday about petitioning Strava to make that a free feature (three contacts can track you live during an activity as a safety precaution).
My other half makes his activities public to get the challenge badge but as soon as he's achieved it he goes back and makes them followers only. This is much easier for the half marathon ones than a monthly distance type challenge though.

These are good suggestions (and I've gone and changed some of my settings, thanks)

But we shouldn't have to jump through these hoops. We should be able to participate with privacy.

Wasn't it Strava that revealed the location of a secret US military base in the mid east? Someone spotted the square-ish route of a bunch of American soldiers running round the perimeter fence apparently in the middle of nowhere.