I don't know. Just finding clothes that fit can be something of an adventure, depending on where you live. And there seem to be countless posts from women who can't find other women to ride with, or have shops in their area that treat them like idiots. It's a shame really, but at least they can get some support online.
And when it comes to actual riding and training... of course there's no reason you can't just go out with the guys and do it. But somehow I find it very motivating to see/read about other women who are really killing it on their bikes. Of course I have plenty of guy friends who kick my butt (and I do kick some of their butts right back)... but I tend to develop something of a tendency to believe that they're just on another level. As much as I always want to believe I can do whatever I put my mind to... I sometimes ride with some world class downhillers and the reality is, I'm just not willing to take the massive risks that they take to launch big gaps, sprint through rock gardens, etc. that they do. And the bigger reality is that there are NO women in the world who do. Why is certainly a big question... And that's not to say that the top women don't blow away MOST men in biking. Yet, the gap between the top men and the top women remains huge.
Anyway - my point is there obviously IS something more to it than just finding a bike that fits. I think it's more complicated than "women learn this way, men learn that way", though that probably has something to do with it. And I don't believe it's really a strength issue either - mountain biking takes strength, but it's more finesse and guts for downhilling/dirt jumping, etc., which makes me think it's more of a mental than a physical issue. Basically, I hear a lot of theories, but nothing that really answers the question.
Even in the women's lounge, we had this discussion and it became fairly heated. It happened once in the Downhill forum... and was filled with "well, it's because you're supposed to be cooking me dinner!" I'd rather see it in a forum where maybe, MAYBE, we can learn something from it. The woman who reads through it and says HEY - I do learn differently than my husband. He just jumps in and follows someone better than him, consequences be damned, and I don't want to try it until I understand what I'm supposed to be doing and how it's supposed to work! So if I get someone to explain it to me first, I can do it too instead of standing there wondering why I'm such a chicken.
Anyway... I guess my point is just that I think there are many valid topics to discuss. There's always new women's gear to review. I love hearing about women's accomplishments and race reports - they inspire me to try new things. And then there are the things that either are different for women or maybe we just think they're different, but commisserating with others, getting advice and working through it seems better than sitting around wondering if you're all alone in your problems.