I'm not sure if the whole "professional fitting" thing is valid. I've never had a fitting other than hopping on the bike and checking to see if it "feels" right, moving the saddle fore/aft and up/down. I've done several long (70, 80, 100+ mile) rides on my MTB and 70 to 130 mile rides on my road bike. Sure, I was a bit sore afterward, but not to the point of being debilitated. Didn't have any problems moving around the next day. I'm going with what feels right. Where I see the expense is in trying different width handlebars. However, if it makes sense to you to have the validation of a fitting, then far be it from me to say you're wrong. I just can't see spending that kind of money when I can figure it out.
Eh I mostly will agree with you on that one BUT some aren't sure exactly what "feels" right and can potentially have problems no matter what they try. Going to a fitter with experience dealing with whatever problems you might have can give more precision in resolving the issue instead of just constantly guessing to fix it.Also at a more competitive stage, there are likely ways to extract a little bit more power or efficiency by mildly tweaking a fit. There might be nothing inherently wrong with a fit but that doesn't mean it can't be better.
While I did the same thing for a long time wheni started to ride my road bike I found that a fitting make a huge difference. I had knee pain when riding so bad that I literally stopped on the way back during a ride to enquire about a fitting at Kings. Went back a few hour later and got fitted. Pretty much everything was adjusted, saddle height , for/aft, bar height , lever position , cleat position. Most very very slight but pain was gone. After that I made a point to at least get the saddle position dialed in with a fitting.
I think one should pay for a pro fit to get properly dialed in. You can't look at your body position while on the bike. Example: Luke at The Path saw my bar's rotation was throwing off the sweep for what I needed--I couldn't tell that. You'd have to video yourself but you'd still not know what's ergo. Once you've had it done, you can transfer your numbers to other bikes. Howver, a fitter who is fair with fees will do that for free or at a minimal cost and they also can get another look at your position on the bike.
I was the same way until recently although mostly due to riding what I had than what might have been the best fit. I picked up my old Gary Fisher while stationed overseas and the military exchange I got it from didn't have a great selection so I ended up on a large size 19" frame. I'm fairly tall and had everything adjusted out about as far as it would go (seat post height all the way up and saddle all the way back) and it worked well due to the longer top tube but I always felt a little like the giant on toddler's bike. It was always flickable and had a connected feel but also was quite nervous and twitchy. A wider bar and some tweaks helped but I never loved the handling. Move forward to last fall and I finally picked up a new bike (Scott 29er in their XL size) more appropriate to my body. Everything adjusted for me and it gives the impression of being more "in" and connected or part of the bike than "on" the bike like my older, smaller bike. It's not quite as tossable in sharp technical maneuvers, somewhat due to the 29er nature and geometry differences, although my skills have also never been the most proficient in that type of riding either. The one big difference I noticed was an immediate improvement in speed over various terrains even though the effective gearing and kike weight is similar. Thinking about it a lot I'd equate it to being more efficient at being able to put power down and maybe a little gain from the shock having a better platform under pedaling. Riding my old bike that didn't fit me well didn't feel bad, but there's something to say for getting a great fit even if you're not looking to be competitive and eek out as much performance as possible. A perfect fit may be less important on a MTB than for a road bike since you're moving around on the bike more and shifting weight and positions for climbing, downhill, etc. but it's still important. I don't think I'd pay a lot of money for an expensive, great road bike-type fitting, but I'd definitely take the time to make sure what you're looking for fits your basic body dimensions and also feels good on a long demo ride.
I think do what works for you and what works long term. Some folks are lucky and they have good strength, flexibility, and muscle symmetry. They understand their bodies well and possess the knowledge and understanding on how to setup their bikes so biking long distances without pain is easy. Some folks aren't as lucky, maybe they have unknown flexibility issues, muscle weaknesses and imbalances, or a job, lifestyle, activities or even past injuries that make cycling long distances painful and difficult. I think a good fitter will properly assess the rider's body and their bike. Take the time to make gradual changes, recommend as many sessions as it takes (at no extra charge), and help the rider vett out any physical limitations they can look into correcting. And be willing to do it all over again as our bodies age, change, injuries etc. It's my opinion that its the riders responsibility to learn as much about the bike, setup and especially their bodies if they are having pain on the bike. And if they can't do it alone, it's okay to seek help. The sport you love doesn't have to hurt you. And if who knows, maybe you may get faster, and enjoy it more too. Here's a great video talking about bike fitting. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxNznrlRXGU [youtube]xNznrlRXGU[/youtube]
