Lock up your apps, say police — thieves use ride-tracking sites to target bikes

With the mild weather and days finally getting longer, a timely reminder from Humberside Police not to give away the location of your precious bike - or bikes - on ride-tracking apps such as Strava and Map My Ride or via social media.

The Hull Daily Mail's Kevin Shoesmith reports http://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/Burglars-using-cycling-8216-fitness-route... that police and bike shop owners believe thieves are using information from the apps to guide them to valuable bikes.

It's vital that privacy settings on the apps are switched on, warned Sergeant Rob Danby, of the Riverside neighbourhood policing team, which covers Hull city centre.

He said: "Members of the public should take care when using apps such as Strava to ensure they do not inadvertently give away private information and locations.

"Such apps can give criminals a clue to where valuable items may be stored."

Bike shop owners report that customers increasingly suspect ride-tracking apps have guided thieves to their bikes.

Wayne Preston, of Cliff Pratt Cycles said: "People who have had bikes stolen come into the shop and we get into the conversation of what happened.

"In some cases, people have not activated the privacy settings on Strava."

Information posted on social media can provide a clue for thieves, and ride-tracking apps can leave them to bikes, Mr Preston believes.

"I don't have any pictures of my bikes on Facebook, but I know people do," he said.

"People happily put photos of their shining £3,000 bike up for everyone to see."

A Strava search for the owner's name can then reveal where rides start and finish, leading the thief to a valuable bike.

Mr Preston said: "The best advice I can give is if you are going to use apps make sure you switch it off a good distance from your house.

"Personally, I would much rather lose a mile off my Strava record than have my house or garage burgled and my bikes stolen."

You can also protect your home location by setting a privacy zone, which masks a location on your rides, or restricting who can follow you.

Luke Anderson of Freetown Sports also believes thieves are using Strava to find bikes and urged people to use the service's privacy features.

"It is definitely happening," he said. "There is the option to block your start point and people need to use it."

Proper bike security is paramount, Sgt Danby said.

"A lot of people keep bikes in sheds with minimal security," he said. "People need to be wary about where and how they store their bikes.

"We've known people to use a £2 lock to secure a bike worth £4,000. They won't spend £50 on a decent lock."