UKC

Hi.

Can anyone describe to me how I can turn the 'request to follow' option on for my account? I can't find it anywhere.

Thanks

I don't think you can turn a 'request to follow' 'on' as that's something someone else does - i.e requests to follow you, which you accept or reject.  If you want to stop getting requests, then you need to hide yourself in the privacy settings and restrict visibility.  

If I understand you correctly,  it's under privacy in your profile.

The issue is how you make them need to send that request at all instead of just clicking "follow" and immediately being linked.

I don't think there's an explicit setting - what you do is set your profile visibility to "followers" instead of "everyone" and it then happens as a side effect.

Are you doing this on phone app or PC?

It's under Privacy Controls.

You need to set 'Profile Page' to 'Followers'.

Also : MAKE SURE YOU HAVE PRIVACY ZONES SET UP

All CAPS deliberate

Thanks this was really helpful especially the privacy zones bit

Cheers !

My Privacy Top-Tips:

- Set up the largest Privacy Zone(s) around your home and work (if you ride there)

- Set up Privacy Zones around people you ride with if you go to their house

- Make sure your riding mates have your house in their Privacy Zones

- Don't use your full name in your Strava Profile

- Opt out of Local Legends (a bit involved this one)

- Flyby is now auto opt-out

- Group activities. Set as Followers Only

- Opt out HeatMap

- Don't add your specific bike details

- Be mindful of the photos you post

You can lock down Strava further by making rides either 'Followers Only' or 'Private'.  It is possible to to this retrospectively in-bulk as well: this will remove you from all leader boards. 

I would add to this... don't list your bike details... just put bike 1 bike 2, mtb etc otherwise you are giving people a good idea what is in your shed

Added!  (yes already do this)

Hi Chris, as someone who has never looked at privacy settings on strava, I'm interested to work out if I should implement all your tips.

I can see there could potentially be a problem if intelligent and determined criminals got wise to the information available through strava.

What could be the worst case crime that could be enabled by that information?

I suppose if a criminal followed you, and saw you were now cycling in scotland, they could decide now was a good time to break into your house in SE England?

Or you advertising that you were riding a top of the range Pinarillo might not be a good idea. 

But is this something that actually happens? Even in rural locations?

It's never crossed my mind until reading this thread, and I would be keen to make sure I'm fully aware of the implications and risks.

I like some of the features of heat maps etc.

You'll have to make your own judgment on that. 

All I can say is that we are plagued by bike thefts in the Peaks at the moment, probably 30 bikes gone in our village alone from sheds and garages (even with good security in place) in the last two years (I'm not exaggerating).  

The measures I suggest will not impact on the Strava 'Experience' (bar the useless Local Legends).

All my riding friends have adopted. 

Some have gone further with Followers Only, so no Leaderboards. (e.g. a friend who had all five bikes stolen from a bespoke Steel bike shed, bikes all chained up).

Thanks for getting me thinking/looking at this. Where I am in pembrokeshire I'm not aware of a bike theft problem, but that could change.

Sounds really bad in your area. Is it known that criminals have used strava to target thefts?

Turning off features that improve security but don't impact functionality sounds sensible.

It's certainly strongly suspected as a means on some targeted thefts (as is following people home!). And Police and NHW are suggesting the same as me wrt to Strava settings.

But they've not caught any of the thieves, so can't ask them!

And yes, these are free security wins, with no impact on using Strava (OK you might lose out on leaderboards of segments within your privacy zone, but that's about it).

Yes really bad theft wise. 11 bikes stolen in my immediate riding group.

Wow - so many responses.

I'm pretty clued up about the privacy options but after reading some of these responses, I might increase my privacy area etc. 

I'm reluctant to turn all my activities to followers only as I find the segment leaderboards too motivating however if you have no control over who is following me I can't see how these makes too much difference. You definitely used to be able to change the following setting and if I do a athlete search I notice some have just a 'follow' tab and others have a 'request to follow' tab. Is this option something that strava has removed - no idea why they would do this. I'm a premium member too in case that makes a difference.

Thanks

Although I have just changed them all to followers only in any case!

Okay - I've just tried to follow myself again and now it is asking for permission so it seems it takes a little while for it to go through. Thanks for the all the help.

My privacy radius is now 1000m too.

I'd suggest:

'Where you Appear' in the Strava Privacy Controls

Profile Page = Followers

this will mean you will get to choose who you accept as a Follower and who can get to see all your rides/runs etc in one place. And see your Photos in one place

Activities =  Everyone

this will mean you will still show up in leaderboards 

Unfortunately whilst numbers aren't huge, there have definitely been cases where this info has been used and in the very early days of strava there were a few police statements advising to change privacy settings (especially hiding postcodes of home and regular stops (e.g. your mate's houses)). As well as advising things like checking your car for trackers if leaving popular MTB parks and paying attention to any vehicles following you etc

If you do make the changes Chris suggests above it doesn't really reduce the features of strava for you, but it will mean that people can't position your house accurately etc.