830 - best method of creating a route and getting it to the device

You can create routes on Garmin Connect directly under Training > courses > Create a course

After you create your course you can click "send to device" and if you have your Garmin device paired with your smartphone + Garmin Connect installed then the course should be transferred on the next sync.

You can also sync Strava routes directly: https://support.strava.com/hc/en-us/articles/115000919304--Syncing-Strava-Routes-to-your-Garmin-Device

Great thank you.  I like the Strava route creator but is it the same result once on the Edge?  Do I get the same level of turn by turn notifications or whatever?  

I either use recorded rides to generate a route or use RideWithGPS.  My bike club has our rides hosted with RWG so I use those or make my own.  You can download the route from RWG and install it manually or there’s a ConnectIQ app to get it directly. 

Turn by turn works for me whether it’s a recorded app or one created by RWG.  The latter shows the added prompts generated on RWG. 

I use RWGPS you can use their connect IQ app to download the route without a cable (it uses the phone connection).  When I first got an Edge 800 many years ago, I tried a lot of different route sites.  I found RWGPS the easiest and best for creating routes.  Things may well have changed over the years, but RWGPS has lots of features I like.  You can choose several different map sources including satellite view.  Support with them is quite good as well.  Be sure to check out their suggested settings for your device. 

Me too.  I tried many sites and have settled on RWGPS.  I find it works well for creating both road and mtb courses.  It's fast and easy to use with all the tools I need.   As mentioned, you can use their IQ app to directly download the courses to your Edge.

Note that you can have the Edge Navigate the course, which means it reviews the course file and then creates a course and turn instructions based on its own internal map, or you can simply ride the course relying the embedded turn instructions put there by the app used to create it.  The former can take several minutes to calculate when you select the course, and on occasion may result it some small differences to the course you created.  The latter takes no time to calculate and is exactly what you created.

Another option that sometimes works better for mtbing in complicated trail networks is to simply have the course displayed on the map and you navigate by looking at the map and seeing where you are in relation to the course.

Thanks.  So do you get an option to let the Edge navigate VS using the embedded instructions?

Once a route (course) is saved on the device, how it is selected and used is the same regardless of how or where the course was created.  So yes, you will get the same level of TBT notifications.  The route calculation method used will depend on how much detail is saved in the course file when it is uploaded.  You don't get to choose the method to use when the course is selected.

I create routes on strava and use the built in app on the 830 to download the route. I’ve also done the RWGPS with the connect iq app as well. 

I personally like creating routes on strava because it will suggest a route based on road popularity. 

You can turn the turn guidance off in the navigation settings if you don't want to have the Garmin produce its own navigation instructions.  You can't select this per individual course.