Delivered by Prologo’s gravity and e-MTB off-shoot Proxim, the Nembo is a base-level saddle that’s impressed owing to its near-perfect shape. It fits me like a glove, providing immediate comfort and support, however, deeper into the ride, the minimal padding and lack of flex becomes a limiting factor.
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Proxim Nembo saddle – Technical details
Proxim’s Nembo saddle is designed with gravity racing in mind, so it makes sense that it’s a result of a close collaboration with Nico Vouilloz, the Athertons and Wyn Masters.
The brand has sculpted the saddle to be flat and short but with a wider nose section that should help with stability and control, while the rounded rear makes for ‘easier exit and entry’. Speaking of shape, there are two widths available: 135mm and 145mm and both measure 245mm in length. Pictured here is the 145mm saddle which comes with more padding.
Both widths benefit from Proxim’s variable-density foam for comfort and shock absorption and there’s a wide relief channel that spans its length. The padding then sits on an Active Base system that’s a rather fancy way of saying that there’s a hole in the carbon-injected nylon base which has been added to reduce pressure.
Wrapping up the features, that carbon-injected base is thicker to provide more flex and strength. The saddle utilises chromoly steel rails to further improve strength.
Proxim claims a weight of 262g, a little lighter than the 270g we recorded on our scale.
Proxim Nembo saddle – Performance
Throughout my near decade-long mountain biking career I’ve had many of what I call ‘crisis’ periods. Periods where I’ve been unsure of certain bike adjustment-related things. Last year was bar height, for example, but throughout I’ve struggled with saddles and long-term comfort, mostly relying on SDG’s fantastic Bel-Air III for most of my riding. Then the Proxim Nembo arrived at the office and its generally wide build piqued my interest as a wide sit-boned person.
But before getting into the saddle’s comfort, it packs plenty of adjustability on its rails. It has the standard measurements and guide we’re used to seeing but its maximum adjustment points stretch far beyond. Typically, I love being able to slam my saddles forward on the seat post to effectively steepen my seat tube angle, and the Nembo affords exactly that.
The Nembo’s shape is fairly extreme as far as saddles go. It’s notably wide all over but its wings, for lack of a better term, spread wide, too. While it might look slightly odd, this saddle fits me like a glove. Prologo (Proxim) knows exactly what it’s doing and that experience shows clear as day where the wings provide plenty of support. The wide nose works similarly, especially when shifting weight forward on the saddle for more strenuous climbs.
Although wide and its wings flared, I would expect a saddle of this shape to catch shorts, and specifically my inner thighs when the seat post is dropped, much like I experienced with the Fiziki Terra Alpaca X5. However, the Nembo is far from cumbersome and I’ve never had such issues.
While I could sit here and gush about the shape, which is ideal unfortunately this saddle isn’t the holy grail I’ve been chasing for all this time. Where Proxim has beefed up the base for durability’s sake and gravity use – it’s too stiff. After about an hour’s worth of riding in and out of the saddle, discomfort has set in which comes as quite a disappointment given how well the Nembo performs in almost all other areas.
Proxim says that this 145mm width model benefits from more padding, so I would hate to know how the 135mm version would feel but deeper into rides, I’ve been lifting myself out of the saddle for relief much more frequently than I want. In the ideal world, that wouldn’t happen at all.
Other than that, the saddle’s proven to be perfectly durable, so I reckon that Proxim could shave some material from that nylon base to encourage a bit of flex. If that were to happen, it would be a greatly improved product.
Proxim Nembo saddle – Verdict
The £84 price denotes the Nembo as a base-level product of a spendy range. If we take the SDG Bel-Air V3 with Lux-Alloy rails, a saddle I get on with well, that’ll set you back £80. Although it’s a little narrower, the £4 cheaper price gets you a lighter-than-claimed saddle with a more flexible base and free float built into the rails. However, you can still get all that tech if you opt for steel rails, like the Nembo’s for a hair under £45.
Selle Italia’s X-Bow Superflow saddle is a great choice for those who prefer a wide saddle but it’s much more comfortable over long rides than the Nembo. It is a much bulkier saddle in general though and it weighs a rather portly 356g.
Proxim’s Nembo saddle nearly had it all for me. Its shape is ideal for my body as it provides all of the support in a relatively compact package that doesn’t get cumbersome when moving the bike around. The stiff base is a real letdown, however, as it introduces discomfort deep into rides and its price isn’t as competitive as similarly specced options from other brands.
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