it's as impossible to recommend a saddle as it is a pair of prescription spectacles tbh. 2 people of identical height, build, flexibility and weight can find the same saddle fits them perfectly, or is an instrument of torture.
There ARE a few things you can do though - if you're a flexible build, you are probably more likely to get on well with one of the longer flatter harder saddles like the Fizik Arione - where you sit "on" it and slide foreward or aft as you move position on the handlebars. For less flexible people, a saddle with a more pronounced "dip" in the middle, where you sit "in" it and stay in one position generally works better.
Also, there are different widths of saddle - some Stores that sell Specialized bikes and spares have a device for measuring the width of your "sit bones" - sounds high tech, but actually its a bit of hardboard with some low speed rebound rubber on it, called an "arse-o-meter" - you sit on it then get off and the dips from the bones point to the width of saddle you'll need.
One thing that's pretty much certain. If you are going to ride more than a couple of miles DON'T get some great big padded sofa, it'll make you sweat, chafe and rub you red-raw within 40 minutes, and you'll probably never get on the bike again.
The other thing is, if you don't ride regularly, you will "feel it" a bit when you get back on the bike - riding a bike kind of conditions the muscles in and around your backside, and it's these muscles that "lift the bones" away from the saddle a bit - when you're out of condition, the muscles are out of tone, and they do get a bit bruised and sore initially.
I've got a drawer in the Bike Cave of different saddles that I've tried, rejected or liked, then didn't get on with as I lost weight last year - there's something like 5 of the damned things, they're all worn and unpleasant enough that I don't dare sell 'em. Most keen riders are in the same position - maybe a local mate of yours could loan you something to try out ?
's - In one case I fitted a cell (brand new Duracell, 3.34v tested before fitting) at 10:00am prior to a ride, went out and did maybe 80km, and the following day at 10:45am got the bike out for a ride and it was showing low-battery on the Garmin. Half way around a 40km ride, the power meter stopped reading and when I returned home the cell was under 2.4v - flatter than a flat thing. This was just before I went away for a few days at christmas, so I left the cell out of the meter, and re-fitted another fresh cell 5 days later. This cell worked fine for a good 2.5 months until my next really driech ride. Next day - flat again. Refit new cell, flat next day.
