I run the extreme 296's all winter front and back--so I don't have much advice on which wheel to run, but I did note on looking at the Nokian site that the Freddy is a pretty hefty tire weight wise. I ran some Innova studded tires for a while and they were in the weight rage of the Freddy and boy did the 296's feel different when I started with those--I switched midseason so one day it was Innovas and the next the 296's. I have felt very secure with the extreme 296s--I ride on a lot of ice and their grip is exceptional. Given the weight difference I think you would be happier with 2 296's than using the Freddy, but studded tires are expensive so you probably don't want a garage full of them!