Virtual Partner v6.00

Then don't add the data screen or use the data fields. 

The arrow is still there on the map though.  Every time.

Then set the virtual partner to 1.0 km/hr and leave him behind. He'll fall off the back of your map screen soon enough.

That is a possible work-around, but that must be done every single time I start a course.  The VP's speed never stays where I set it.  So it takes an excessive number of taps to open up the profile, add the VP screen in, reduce the speed down to 10% (the lowest it will go), return to the profile, hide the VP screen, and then finally start the ride.  

I would be more accepting of this if I could set the VP speed and then never have to do it again, but it resets itself on each and every ride.  I will never understand why this feature is forced upon us with no way to disable it.

Route with plotaroute, set the Avg Flat Speed: to 1.00 kph just one time, and your done.

Yes, the triangle is a minor inconvenience for those who don't want a virtual partner. However, the virtual partner is the lone reason I don't consider competing GPS products. 

Never heard of plotaroute, but if allows me to never have to touch the virtual partner again, then I will have to check it out.  I do all of my route building in Garmin Connect, since it easily allows me to download the route directly to the Edge through the mobile app.  But no matter what I set the speed to in the route, it never seems to carry over to the course once it's loaded onto the Edge.

I exclusively use plotaroute because it allows proper control of VP. Who knows, maybe you'll grow to like it when and if Garmin fixes the reset issue. Fair warning: plotaroute works on a mobile, but they don't have an app. To load course from your mobile requires you to install the GPX/FIT Exporter app on the mobile and the complimentary IQ gimporter app on the Edge. Last, the course must be saved in the FIT format.

Removing the data screen and removing the data fields is proven to not disable VP.

I never claimed it did.