Great question! Newer gearing, do you consider 1 chainring at the front?

I like not having gears at the front for many reasons: one less derailleur to worry about, easier to use, one less shifter, etc etc.

Gear ratio might be an issue though.. if you cycle mostly on flats, hilly, or a bit of both you might need a larger range of gears like your current 3x8 or 1x12 (more modern/balanced for mixed terrain).

That said, it depends on your bike. We'd need to see what fits and if you have to upgrade your rear hub too. Depending on the parts already on the bike you could possibly run 1x8 for flats without spending much.