[zpatron14]

When I am naming cycloalkanes, how do I determine which locust to start numbering from? Is it the locust with the longest side chain? After determining the #1 locust, which way do I then work around the cycloalkane, clockwise or counterclockwise?

[discodermolide]

Well the substituents go in alphabetical order. Then number them so you get the lowest sum of the numbers.

is 2-butyl-4-ethyl-1-propylcyclohexane
not 5-ethyl-2-propyl-1-butylcyclohexane.
The sum in the first is 7, in the second case 8, so the first is the name.
There are plenty of tips to be found on Professor Google (so I hope I am correct here ).