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I am training to do a charity cycle ride and I want to supplement my road training with some work on a cycle machine in the gym. My difficulty is that I don't know what to set the resistance level to on the machine.
I need to train to do an average of 15mph, but I can easily do this by reducing the resistance on the bike.
I know the distance I have covered according to the machine and in what time, but can I estimate using the Watts and/or RPM what resistance level to set?
http://www.livestrong.com/article/396039-how-to-calculate-cycling-power/
This is actually one of the better estimations, although any of them are basically educated guesses. Without a properly calibrated power meter, it's hard to get a completely accurate reading of watts.
Not really.
You can get something by paying attention to how you feel riding at a specific speed outside vs on the exercise bicycle, but it won't be terribly accurate.
However, I recommend that you don't try to duplicate your outdoor training. You would see greater improvement if you did some intervals instead.
