The answers to your questions are here:
http://www.hammernutrition.com/downl...nghandbook.pdf
(warning, large PDF)
The answer to your pre-ride fueling problem starts on p.97. The recovery section is just before that.
You don't have to use Hammer products to follow their advice. Most anything that you like will work, but do observe their advice on timing, quantity, and macronutrient composition of fuels.

As they say, their advice may not be what you are used to hearing, but I can tell you that it's good advice. It's what I do and it works. So try it their way and see if it works for you. If it does work, you can experiment with deviating from their relatively exacting specifications and see if that works as well, which it might. Note that the length of a proposed ride makes a big difference in how one should fuel for it.