When I was on the Calif Aids Ride (which dates me, so I'm told!), I saw a guy standing by the side of the road off his bike on one of the ickier downhills. Being that I am the downhill wuss, I was going slow enough to ask him if he was ok. He looked kind of confused so I stopped. Turns out he had been speeding down the hill and his bike started shaking. He was able to slow and stop but it scared the bejesus out of him! He really was just scared and wanted to talk. After about 10 minutes, we both started out again where he quickly passed me downhill (I'm the only one I think who tends to go faster uphill than down) and I never saw him again.

You never know when someone truly needs something or when they don't. I know what it's like being talked down to and I realize it is frustrating. I think though you and every other woman on this site proves these people wrong every day because this is one of the strongest group of people I've ever seen. If people asked you if you needed help for any reason other than treating you as a person (instead of a female or overweight female or whatever), you make them look foolish by them that they're wrong to have preconceptions. If that makes sense