If -2(x + 1) is 16 more than 2, what is the value of x?

Pls! does anybody know a shortcut for answering these types of questions in the future?

Two cyclists 84 miles apart start riding toward each other at the samen time. one cycles 2 times as fast as the other. if they meet 4 hours later what is the speed (in miles) of the faster cyclists

What value of x is in the solution set of 4x – 12 s 16 + 8x?