Liza,
Oh, I'm definitely with you on the trainer being harder than riding on the road! I was apprehensive about not being able to keep up with a group on the road after seeing my performance on the trainer. Boy was I pleasantly surprised when I was able to "hit the road" again!
I've tried various resistance settings on my trainer so the trainer rides better simulate outside effort. Unfortunately, if I set the resistance too loose, the wheel squeaks, and it doesn't work well when I do workouts that call for standing and/or higher gears.
Ultimately, I've decided that I don't care what the trainer mileage is. I'm fine as long as the resistance is low enough that I can warm up adequately, and high enough that I can do the standing workouts.
-- Melissa
I'll get back on the bike soon, I promise!