Alan Wake 2 car and bicycle wheel cult stash puzzle solution

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You'll need to do more maths to get this car and bike puzzle cult stash open in Alan Wake 2

Alan Wake 2 car and bicycle cult stash with note explaining algebra puzzle
(Image credit: Remedy)

For the Alan Wake 2 car and bike stash, you need to solve another number puzzle to reveal the stash's three-digit padlock code. You'll know roughly what to expect if you solved the previous battery amp puzzle in Alan Wake 2, though this cult stash tasks you with figuring out the code based on the number cars in a factory filled with 200 cars and bicycles and 754 wheels between them. Why the Cult of the Tree uses these algebra puzzles for their supply stashes remains a mystery, but I've run the numbers for this puzzle and have the answer to the Alan Wake 2 car and bike stash below.

How to open the Alan Wake 2 car and bike stash and work out how many cars are in the factory

The code you need to open the Alan Wake 2 car and bike stash is 1 7 7 as there are 177 cars in the factory. From this stash, I got shotgun shells, a flare, and a propane tank, all of which are useful things to have going into the Valhalla Nursing Home area, as there are quite a lot of deadly threats to face there. Since you won't find any more of these Alan Wake 2 stashes until after the nursing home area, this is a good opportunity to get some supplies for what's ahead.

  1. The start of the puzzle explains that there are 200 vehicles in this factory, where vehicles refers to a mix of cars (c) and bicycles (b). Therefore, c + b = 200
  2. Next, the question explains that each car has four wheels, each bike has two wheels, and there are 754 wheels in the factory. Therefore, 4c + 2b = 754
  3. The question then asks how many cars there are, so using the above equations, we need to figure out the value of c. Start by rearranging the first equation then substitute it into the wheel equation to figure out the value of b:
    c + b = 200
    c = 200 - b

    4c + 2b = 754
    4(200-b) + 2b  = 754
    800 – 4b + 2b = 754
    800 – 2b = 754
    800 = 754 + 2b
    2b = 46
    b = 23
  4. Substitute b into the original equation to get the answer: c = 200 – 23 = 177
  5. Substitute it all into the wheel equation to check:
    4(177) + 2(23) = 708 + 46 = 754

Yes, I know it's a lot if you have zero maths ability but you'll have to complete al of these if you want to get the Alan Wake 2 Lighthouse Key which is the reward for opening all the stashes. 

There are loads of other collectibles to search for as well, such as Alan Wake 2 lunch boxes when you're playing as Saga, and Alan Wake 2 Words of Power for when you're Alan himself.

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Will Sawyer
Will Sawyer
Guides Editor, GamesRadar+

Will Sawyer is a Guides Editor at GamesRadar+ with over five years of experience in writing online guides, news, and features, and has a BA (Hons) in Journalism. Starting as a freelancer, Will contributed to startmenu and Game Rant before joining the GamesRadar+ team in August 2021. Since then, he has written hundreds of guides about a huge range of games, with shooters and action games being his areas of expertise. Outside of writing about games, Will hops between multiplayer shooters with friends, such as Darktide and Helldivers 2, and delves into whatever has been on his backlog for far too long. He also tries to get through his never-ending Warhammer pile of shame of grey Tyranids, Aeldari, and Chaos Space Marines.