Ron it sounds as if your preferences for social settings are similar to mine. 

I credit cycle touring, especially the first long distance one I did in 1979 across Europe, with me learning to be more extroverted, and much more comfortable in being immersed in random social situations where I wasn’t in control. That first cycle tour was a great confidence booster.

There’s nothing quite like an extended ‘out of comfort zone’ experience to better understand one’s self and others. 

"There’s nothing quite like an extended ‘out of comfort zone’ experience to better understand one’s self and others."

Yes that's exactly right in my experience. I can strike up conversations with other tourers, locals, fellow campers, with relative ease. But if I'm car touring, in less likely to interact with them. Weird. 

Your point about confidence gained on your tours is also interesting, and makes perfect sense. 

Yes, yes, I'm an extrovert. Wildly so, according to the tests.

Not for me, staring into the fire and listening to country-and-western music like you miserable introverts!

Thanks for starting this thread, Mark.  

In answer to your question:  Both, I'd say (and TBH I've not thought of myself as one or the other), and "it depends"...

I've enjoyed touring (and hiking and paddling) by myself, and in the company of our kids (at various ages) and cherished friends.  The tours I've done with one of our kids or with friends, have been first, an opportunity to spend days or weeks together, and only secondarily about cycling.  The cycling was not an afterthought, far from it, but wasn't the raison d'être.

The tours I've done by myself, such as my ride through the Rockies to the western ocean in 2016, have been tours I wanted to do on my bike.  And, I was quite happy to do those solo.  Some longer tours have included some stretches where I was joined by friends or family.  But in any case, I enjoy my own company: borrowing Moustaki's great lines, "Je ne suis jamais seul/Avec ma solitude."  Of course, I soon learned that on solo tours I'm alone only for periods of time, usually in the saddle.

One difference I've noted, between solo touring and cycling with friends or family, is this:  riding by myself, I've had a lot of hugely enjoyable chance encounters, some brief, others more extended.  And, I'd say, many more than when travelling as one of two, three or more riders.  That difference is an added benefit of solo touring--and one I've come to expect--but I still enjoy touring with friends.  Both of our kids now have families of their own, and lead busy-busy lives.  We do occasional short rides together, but no tours.  (My wife, bless her, is tolerant and supportive of my two-wheeled obsessions.  Although she doesn't like camping or anything other than gentle neighbourhood cycling, we've made time and space to travel together in some special places.) 

When it comes to thoughts, I have noticed that solo tourers have no choice but to focus their thoughts on surroundings. Group tourers tend to have more "group thoughts" that distract them from thinking about the here and now.

When it comes to social interactions, I have noticed that solo tourers have more interactions with local people than large tour groups. Large tour groups mostly socialize among themselves. One exception is male-female touring couples who are perceived to be more approachable and "normal" than single travelers.

I've had only one group tour, Wayne.  That was a great ride--my first tour--and the core of the group was a family I'd known for decades.  There weren't any major problems, but there was some family stuff going on, which I didn't pick up.  Someone closer to the family told me it wasn't anything serious, and equally, it wasn't our "stuff" to worry about.  Mind you, the tour was a "group thing" by design.  No question, though, there was a "bubble".

The following year, I rode with the dad of the family from Ottawa to Halifax, just the two of us, and it was a wholly different dynamic -- much more relaxed, more open to the wider world around us, and replete with the usual improbable and welcome surprises.