Thanks for all the replies so far
I have to add that I have no problem with long bike rides, I used to ride all day long a few years ago. I enjoy biking a lot.
Things just got busy, and somehow I got to think a car was faster/more efficient.

Winters in Montreal are much rougher than Toronto or Detroit. We get 10 feet of snow one day, then it gets mild 3 days later and becomes slushy, then it's -40 degrees celcius and freezes over, until that cycle begins again. 15 years back, we used to only get a ton of snow, but at least it was constant.

Anyway, I might just stick with my original idea and mod my current bike. For some reason, I thought the price different wouldn't be that high, but obviously the most expensive part of the bike is the frame, so getting a whole new bike would be pricey.

I read that some people ride with different wheels in the front and the back. Should I consider this?