Seriously need a mess of advice
 

Hi, I'm Oldnewbe and the name says it all. I'm male, 76, 5'10" at 150 lbs., am quite active and in pretty fair shape for an old coot.
I have 10 years on my new mate who it an avid road cyclist and I would like very much to accompany her on some of her shorter rides but I would hate to hold her back too often.
I need a bike - I've tried a road bike with the standard derailleur and wasn't thrilled with it at all. Would feel much more at home with a more substantial bike I'm sure.
Am curious about a so-called 'touring' bike and extremely curious about some of the newer transmission hubs especially the NuVinci. Have wandered around the internet and got a bunch of little bits and pieces so I'm pretty confused and because I'm not close to any city of size I can't experiment very much.
Any advice will be appreciated.

Not too much we can recommend without knowing a lot more about what you like, don't like, etc. And you probably don't know yet. I'm sure some of the more "life experienced" folks around here can provide some useful tidbits, but you might just have to spend some time traveling to a few bike shops to try as many different styles of bikes as you can. I'd even try a recumbent to see how that feels... should be more comfortable than a standard road bike. I've seen a lot of older guys putting some serious miles on those. I tried one for a while for my back and it was great. But not so much for commuting in a city environment so I gave it up. If I was out in the country I'd totally have one.

If you want to keep up with the roadies without being as fit as them, buy a recumbent bike (or even a trike). The lower wind resistance allows higher speed with less horsepower.

What was it about the road bike you didn't like? When you mean standard derailleur, do you mean the old-style friction shifters? (meaning you had to finesse the lever to get in the right gear) was it the balkiness of the shifting that interest you in the NuVinci? There are fine indexed derailleur systems that don't feel as balky as the friction shifters if that's what you're aiming for.

Truth be told if she's an avid cyclist and on a lightweight racing frame, you'll have a tough time keeping up on just about any upright bike. That's not meant to discourage you, just that with any bike you pick, it's mainly going to be on her to ride a more relaxed pace when she's hanging out with you - so I wouldn't sacrifice to find the lightest fastest frame you can. You can keep up a brisk pace on a suitable hybrid bike. It will be heavier and a little slower with wider tires tho'. But you get a more upright position and the bike will feel more "substantial" if that's what you're looking for.

You should definitely try a recumbent if you can get the chance. By the sound of it you're mostly riding on quiet rural roads, so it might be just the ticket.

Good luck, and welcome to BikeForums!

I think you need to go to a good bike shop, or maybe a few bike shops, in some city you can get to even if it takes a weekend trip to do it. Tell them your situation and explain what you want to do, but try to get advice from the "old" (38) guy who runs the shop rather than the 19-year-olds working there. They have NO idea....
You don't mention a budget, and that does have some bearing on what you wind up with. I'm 63, a cyclist for 40 years, but I've been off the bike for about a year because of some eye and balance problems, so getting back into it has me thinking about things I used to take for granted. A recumbent may be good for you--I like the idea, but never have really ridden them enough to feel at home. Something like a Rivendell Atlantis (fairly expensive) with fat tires could work--I have one, and I really like it. A lower-budget version that has many of the same qualities is a Surly Crosscheck or other cyclocross bike. Room for tires at least 35mm wide is a good thing from a stability standpoint and won't slow you down much, and you can always put skinnier tires on if you want to. Older riders sometimes are more comfortable with a different setup than the kids--higher handlebars, lower gearing (I'd recommend a triple chainring), things like that. A racing setup with narrow, high pressure tires, a long reach down to the bars and a stretched-out position may be more efficient, but it beats us old guys to death. If you don't enjoy it, you won't ride. There's a good essay on bike fit and related issues on the Rivendell Web site here: http://www.rivbike.com//. Click where it says READ ABOUT BICYCLES & GEAR and you'll get a selection.

Not personally a fan of Rivendell myself, but to each his own....

Your best choices have been covered here; recumbent for better aerodynamics, or cyclocross if the roadie doesn't do it for you. The 'cross was gonna be my suggestion, but the 'bent sounds better.

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.

I ride all over London, including during heavy rush hour traffic on my recumbent. Its a HiRacer so has 26" wheels so I'm more visable in traffic