Stoke Newington to Brighton

I've got Friday off and want to make the most of the sun before it vanishes for months on end, so I was thinking of riding to Brighton to get me a fish and chip luncheon on the beach.

Does anyone have any recommended routes starting from North / East London?

I don't have a Garmin and was going to rely on a shoddily scribbled route taped to my top tube and the maps on my phone for when I get lost. Do you reckon this is sensible / achievable!?

Yep, very achievable.
Make sure you battery is fully charged, and if you cant be arsed to ride across London then get the overground to Richmond and start there (Bikes ok before 7:30)

crib sheet - london to brighton

trafalgar sqaure
down pall mall
up st james street and down piccadilly
at hyde park corner turn left onto grovesner place
right on to hobart/kings road
at sloane square left onto lower sloane street
follow over chelsea bridge and straight down queenstown road
continue through to clapham south and follow a24
at tooting broadway turn left onto mitcham road
right on a217 to mitcham
left at cricket green and onto cranmer road
right onto carshalton road - a237
right at chipstead valley road and left onto portnalls road turns into coulsden lane
left at high road leads into blackhorse lane
left at a217 and under m25 - follow through to reigate
follow a217 until left at lonesome lane turns into meath green lane
right then left onto vicarage lane
over a23 onto victoria road
right at balcombe road
left at roundabout onto antlands lane east
leads onto effingham road then right onto effingham lane
continues onto mill lane and then right at turners hill road
leads into north st and then follow selsfield road
right at selsfield common continue on selsfield road b2028 to ardingley
out onto lindfield road turns into ardingley road onto high st and lindfield
left at lewes road turns into scaynes hill road
right at a272 lewes road straight left onto slugwash lane
right at green road left at b2112 common lane to ditchling
follow beacons road and then ditchling road
up the ditchling beacon and then ditchling road all the way to the sea.

might vary a shade from the map but those directions will get you there.
nice roads, the main ones aren't too bad.
some amazing country lanes in there too.

doesn't start norf but i'm guessing you can roll to trafalgar square simples enough.

Sweet, thanks. Am concerned it may be a bit fiddly though; don't wanna have to stop every 10 mins to look at a route / map if possible. May keep hold of that route for when I have company to help out on the navigation.

May amend my plan to heading up to Cambridge instead (although I really want some decent fish and chips on the beach!)... saves going through town early in the morning, and the first half of the route is dead easy. Any tips for that one!?

i can help there to:

start brick lane polo courts
left on bethnal green road
left at squirries street
quick left then right on goldsmiths row
right at ada street
left at sheep lane
right at westgate street
left at mare street leads onto amhurst road
right on dalston lane
left at lower clapton road
right at powerscroft road then left onto chatsworth road
right on lea bridge road and continue on a104
left at bury lane b182
left to epping green continue through roydon
right at kittens lane, stanstead abbot
continue right on hunsdon road
through hunsdon onto b1004
continue through villages until patmore heath
then left on the causeway and right to furnex Pelham
left on the street and through little hormead
left at worsted lane right b1368 and continue through barkway
left on cambridge road and through barley
continue on b1368 through fowlmere
right at shelford road to little shelford
right at tunwells lane then left at hinton way shelford rail staion
take second left – start of dna path
continue through hospital and turn left on long road
right at rutherford road onto cycle path
then left onto barrow road
right onto trumpington road
follow into Cambridge
find pub
get beer

Ha, thanks Skive!

I'd had a little perusal of google maps and half worked something out already, but I'll definitely look through yours later too. Found a few other routes on the rides and races thread as well.

The final pub / beer combo is the aim of the day to be fair.