Routes Database

Have they considered cycle training? :)

The standard route from Waltham Forest is along Coppermill Lane (a slight detour for your colleague, but not too much to not be feasible), then crossing the River Lea at or south of Springfield Marina, along the River Lea (the only waterside bit, and not a canal :) ), then across/under Lea Bridge Road to South Millfields, along the path SW to Powerscroft Road, then along that, across Lower Clapton Road into Clapton Square.

From there, they have a choice of either continuing along Clarence Place, left into Clarence Road, across Lower Clapton Road into Mare Street Narroway, and a short stretch along Mare Street (not quiet but the only bit that isn't), or south into Churchwell Path and either crossing Morning Lane into Chatham Place and a choice of east-west streets to get into London Fields, or the stretch along Morning Lane (again not quiet).

Anyway, from Mare Street as per the first option it's a right into Reading Lane, then left into Hackney Grove, then Martello Street, London Fields. From Chatham Place it's either Paragon Road (not quiet at the western end, but still possible to turn into Reading Lane from there) or Brenthouse Road-Ellingfort Road or Lyme Grove-St Thomas's Square-London Lane or Loddiges Road, etc.

In London Fields, they should get onto the Maurice Hope route along Middleton Road and west all the way to the Northchurch Road/Southgate Road junction. You say you know the bit from Dalston, but just to summarise the admittedly convoluted LCN route from there: across Southgate Road into Northchurch Road west, right into Cleveland Road, right into Elmore Street, left into Ecclesbourne Road, across New North Road into Popham Road, through the modal filter into Basire Street, then right into Bishop Street, then across the green by the church, right into Prebend Street, Rheidol Terrace, Danbury Street, Vincent Terrace (OK, parallel to the canal, but not on it, honest), and Colebrooke Row. From there on in it's fairly straightforward.