My spin bike is able to be set up the same as my road bike. The only difference being the different handlebars. I do some track style training on the bike with standing start type training and high resistance over short period high cadence stuff. Doing that on my real bike on a trainer would have ripped through a number of rear tyres, and for that reason, I think the spin bike has paid for itself. The main thing to remember with these sort of bikes, is that the momentum of the flywheel will turn your legs over for you. To gain any real benefit from riding them, you have to make sure you are pushing the pedals all the time. To get an idea of the resistance needed, just take your real bike out for a short spin and pay attention to how much effort you are putting into pedalling. Try and mimic that resistance on the bike. The other "rule" is that if your butt is bouncing on the seat, turn up the resistance!