'Not needing shocks' is a key determination IMHO as it changes the type of bike you will look at.

You will need to define what 'high quality' means for you; for me it was less about speed, and more about putting a smile on my face when riding which varies between relatively slow (accompanying my wife on her comfort-type bike) and relatively faster (on my own or with my son on his flat-bar-road-type-bike) + the 'feel' of the gear changes & general posture. As you do your search you will find some bikes come with disc brakes - I did not want them for the type of riding I envisioned, but some people swear by them. If your budget extends that far there are also bikes made of carbon - I decided against even trying those as they were outside my price range, but they now seem to be available at lower price points.

Trek 7.x FX series are great bikes (my son has the 7.3 version), but all the major manufacturers (Cannondale, Giant, Specialised) have corresponding models (for Cannondale it is Quick) - and other makes can also be OK.

You should buy the bike which fits your budget (great time to buy now as 2014 models should be on clearance), but which more importantly fits your body requirements/preferences. When I did my research I likely I spent too much time comparing specifications on the internet, however I do not regret any of the time I spent test-riding different bikes.

I wanted to buy from a LBS (local bike shop) who help with making sure you buy the right size bike and adjusting it to properly fit you. Depending where you live, that may exclude certain brands / introduce others. An LBS will usually provide free servicing for a period of time + discounts on extras (pumps, locks, lighting etc) that you buy with the new bike.

I chose the bike that put a smile on my face [a prior year (2012 model) Cannondale Quick SL-1] and have no regrets at all (except that having fallen in love with the bike I was not a very good price negotiator). I think Cannondale have made changes to their 'Quick' names, with the 'SL' being replaced by 'Quick Speed'.

At age 67 I am looking for some insulation from the irregularities on the riding surface. Having ruled out shocks, my preference is to run on somewhat wider tires (currently 32mm equivalent - and will consider even wider when I need to replace) and to run the front at somewhat lower air pressure than the rear. There can be strong opinions about tires - some people seem to feel that narrower tires improve performance, while some research suggests that the quality of the tire is more important.

Good luck in making your choice.