Got a High Roller II 650b 2.4 wide DH tyre here that I inherited. I swapped it off for something much lighter but thinking I might pair it up with another HRII as a set of DH tyres for Alps or uplift days. Thinking if it’s a 42a then I should get a 60A to go with it, or vice versa – but there’s nowt on it to tell me what it is??

Buy a 42a and stick it on the front. That way you know you have equal or more grip on the front. For DH and Alps the drag factor won’t matter.

MaxxPro is 60a
Supertacky is 42a
SlowReezzy is 40a
3C is a mix of all three.

Generaly a supertacky is good on the front and Maxxpro/60a on the rear for longer life and better rolling resistance. But if you’re 100% on chairlifts, or pretty fit and don’t mind the added drag then 42a front and rear feels like cheeting on a trail bike going downhill, you can faff with suspension and tyre pressures till kingdom come, but it won’t make any where enar as much difference as a set of sticky tyres!

Avoid 40a/slowreezy compounds though, they’re really soft, and unlikely to last more than a day or two on a trail bike.

Cheers, I’ll probably just get a 42a then like you suggest…. But I’d still like to know how you tell them apart?

Hit it with a hammer and see how fast it bounces back. 😉