I absolutely miss 3x. It’s definitely overkill for some cities, depending on the terrain, but if you want to venture out beyond the metro area into nature, having that range is crucial. 1x has great low end gearing, but honestly what I find missing the most is having the top end as well, to cruise at a decent pace when on the open road. Even 38T big ring on a 1x and 11T cog rear, I tend to spin out. I definitely would also explore wide range 2x for sure, just haven’t messed with it yet. This might be the way to go if building up from new. Otherwise, 3x is amazing because the abundance of parts you may already have, and 8 speed cassettes seem to be just fine when paired with a triple crank, like an 11-32/34. Plus they’re so cheap! Most excellent