Wow! So much excellent sounding advice and one theme stands out among most or perhaps all and that's a recumbent bike.
In my previous search I did look at these bikes and most were quite radical and although such bikes might be perfect for me I prefer not to draw attention to myself. I did see one or two that looked pretty 'normal' but had a back rest and that "substantial' appearance I'm looking for.
I shall get busy and check all this advice out closely and then see where I might take a trial spin on what may appear to be the bike of choice.
I may find an answer to the following question in my search but it would be quite helpful if any of you are aware of the likelihood of my finding a recumbent sporting the NuVinci hub which really peaks my interest.
There's no doubt that there's a love/hate thing about the NuVince hub and most of it seems to boil down to the weight of the device and/or the strong loyalty to the derailleur. I could be all wet but that's the way it sounds to one who is ignorant about cycling.
I know that it's likely a gross exageration but when one is not interested in competitive cycling I find it hard to believe a few pounds of hub can make a difference to cyclists that include those who outweigh their bikes by 200 or more lbs.
As for what I'm willing to spend, off the top of my head I'd say somewhere between 3 and 5M.