Bike training on stationary bike......useless?

I have done training on a stationary bike, as well as on a spin bike.  If it's your only option, it's still better than nothing, and you can make it work for you.  Can you adjust the resistance so that it's harder and and easier to pedal while you're riding?

I can't stand just pedaling on a stationary/spin bike.  So, I always make them a kind of interval workout.  I'll get on and warm up for about 5 minutes at a relatively easy effort, and then start working on "hills" -- increasing the resistance for several minutes and then backing off for a short recovery period.

The only problem with stationary/spin bikes is that it's not exactly like riding a real bike outside, so you're not getting any benefit to your bike handling skills, and the setup isn't the same, so your form isn't going to be perfect.  But you can still get the cardio benefit, and work on building strength.

Exactly.  You do what you can with the resources available.

Last winter I didn't have a trainer set up and I was not familiar with spin bikes.  I did the vast majority of my bike training on a stationary bike at the gym.  I worked up a great sweat and I know it helped with my general fitness and maybe contributed to my cycling base, but after 5 months of that I felt like I was not any faster out on the open road.  I do feel like I get a much more cycling specific workout from the spin bikes and my trainer.  Still not like the real thing, but closer.

LIke the others have said, if it is your only option then get to it.  And good for you to be willing to work with what you have.  Too many people would just quit thinking "I can't do it if I don't have the right equipment.  Oh well." 

I agree with D.Z.  about the drills.   I'm also slightly biased since I happen to be an indoor cycling instructor  .

Nothing can replace time spent on the road or replicate it exactly, but it's been my experience that spin bikes allow for drill based training that can and does translate into ability/endurance on the road.  Obviously much of this is dependent on the types of drills you do and the amount of load with which you spin.  There is a difference between spin bikes and general fitness stationary bikes, so if you have the option, use the spin bike.  Most gyms will allow you to go into the cycling room to use a bike when classes are not in session.  

If you decide to take a spin class, choose an instructor carefully.  Some instructors are primarily aerobics teachers who took a class to get an indoor cycling certification and might have more of an "aerobics party on the bike" class.  Other instructors are outdoor cyclists (often triathletes) whose approach is to simulate a road ride for the duration of the class, and some even use HR zone training as the basis of their cues.  Both styles of teaching are fine in terms of a group fitness experience... but as a triathlete, the latter is obviously a better fit for your training. 

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