I think we know different sorts of women, Zero; every one I know is at least as capable as myself or any bloke...and sometimes moreso.
This has held in the larger realm of Life in my experience, and I have found it so in the bicycling world as well. I was a tour leader for some years in a past life, and found the female members of my groups were generally more self-sufficient than the guys -- or took pains to learn to become so if they weren't already. One of my best fellow tour leaders was a woman (And still is! She's gone on to head one of the largest non-profits in the Seattle area geared toward redistribution of excess foodstuffs to the hungry and needy).
That said, I found sexism toward women to be an endemic part of the group dynamic in my tour groups and I wouldn't stand for it. Because group dynamics differed from cohort to cohort, I let things settle out on their own giving the benefit of the doubt to higher actions, then called a group huddle on the first incident when it occurred and explained we were all equal on the road, with members varying in ability across the sexes; all had paid their money and were there for the experience. Interestingly, the weakest or most clueless member would often be male...and would also need the most attention; they seemed to have a talent for "independent initiative" (getting lost from the group). I think I rode the routes twice by the time I rounded them up.
Best,
Dan.
