I’m using my only road bike to commute 45mile round trip. It’s getting shagged.
I have a brand new set of light ish mtb wheels and loads of bits. Wondering about a carbon whippet build?
Could I suck some rigid forks on, but gear it for road?
Or would a cyclocross bike be better.

Cyclocross is ideal. Or a second road bike.

Do you commute daily? If so, the money you save should more than pay for a second bike

45mile on road and dont want to wreck your good bike = another bike, with guards.

For 45 mile id get a road bike, unless you want the extra comfort of bigger tyres or will actually use a cross bike for cross occasionally. Id certainally not do it on an MTB, but then im always happy to by more bikes (and other half dosnt care).

I commute 33 mile round trip on a 1992 claud butler mtb, somewhat adapted. wheels are lx hubs with rigida snyper rims, allowing a narrow mtb slick. the conti sport contact 1.3″ was fantastic (less effort overall than rubino pro 3s on road bike that I used to use) but not enough support on the rear. currently got a rubino pro slick mtb 1.5″ on the rear and all is well. drop hadlebars, natch.

found due to state of the roads that the compliance of the fatter tyres mean I’m faster overall on mtb than road bike despite having a lower top speed and the bike weighing 20% more. and it was cheap as chips. and I’ve got no toe overlap. and I could go on…

I built up a Carbon whippet from a second hand frame bits I had lying around. My route is pretty flat and only half your distance but I set it up singlespeed with rigids and it does the job nicely. With the spares I had I think it only cost around £300 to do.

Thanks all.
Chillidave, do you have any pics?
Any idea of the weight?

Do you commute daily? If so, the money you save should more than pay for a second bike

I will second this^^,that’s a fair commute and my bikes are all paid for by the money saved on commuting. It’s win ,win.

I use a CX bike with midge bars most of the time,and it is perfect for my route( mix of trails and road), but whatever you choose ,I would go for big wheels,.