It was probably worse for her tho ... the person chatting might well
have been french
3 frenchpersons = 5 political parties, eh
And obviously a guy talking down to a woman.
That said, I once had a woman telling me that my bike could be a lot faster if I put skinny tires on! (That was a group ride in the lowest level of the club. It was a Sunday after I just finished a pretty long ride with lots of climbing on Saturday and in need of a recovery ride)
To be fair, every cycling enthusiast goes through that process. First, buying a first "good bike", loving it and wondering why everyone else isn't on the same or better. Then realizing the lightest bike can't beat a "well-tuned engine". Moreover, sometimes the weight of the bike isn't the be-all-end-all characteristic.
I try not to burst their bubble (of loving their first "good bike").