[nowandlater]

I have an absolute treasure trove of saddles; it's hard to state just how personal they are to each person's physiology. What works for one may not work for another. It can be a long frustrating (and expensive) experience.

[loeg]

Some bike shops run programs called saddle libraries that allow you to try many before buying.

[Aachen]

Isn't it also like chairs, beds, pillows, glasses' frames, bras, mice, etc. though? You can often tell when it's terrible but not when it's going to still feel good after the first 8 hours of continuous use

Edit: further down the thread someone (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40492169) mentions saddle trials as a potential option, so I guess that confirms it. A saddle library sounds like a good starting point for selecting which one to trial, though!

[loeg]

I think these are just different terminology for the same thing. You take the saddle from the library for a week or whatever -- it's not just sitting on it once in a shop.

E.g. https://www.freerangecycles.com/faq-1#:~:text=small%20(but%2...