No need to fight Maelochs. To me, you are mixing things up which you do time to time. I said nothing of a price tag for a fitting. Truthfully, $200 if picking a number is the best money a novice cyclist can 'ever' spend being placed on the right trajectory to enjoying the sport. An in depth fit isn't essential. A more generic fit is an OK starting point. If working up to riding 5K miles per year where further repetition can manifest an overuse injury, fit is even more critical. Cleat position for example is a science unto itself....how a foot tracts throughout the pedal stroke affecting knee health for example. Fit is extremely complex and too nuanced even for somebody with a heavy science pedigree like I have starting out. Too much to digest and apply. In fact, the study of fit is life long. Even after 10 years of riding, a student of cycling may and will learn something new about position on the bike that will either improve comfort or power or both, sometimes not at the exclusion of each other.

Btw, its ok to disagree. What the forum is about, to compare ideas. We won't all agree because we come from different walks and have difference experiences.

I will state again, the best money anybody who is willing to spend $1K more on a bike is a bike fit by somebody who does it for a living. If she lived near me, I could perform one for her. I end up fixing many club fits and help local cyclists with their fit issues. Even having a basic bike fit performed at the local bike shop is no guarantee of success. Fit is a work in progress.