I'm planning ahead on one of my winter project bikes, a mid eighties columbus sl frame. After it's powder coated it'll be built up with Cyclone mkII and some other period stuff. However, in the future I would like to go more modern with an 8 or 9 speed STI, and possibly a triple. Should I have the braze on removed in order to widen the range of fd's available to me, or will it be something I can easily work with?

Thanks in advance for your advice.

I would think you would have just as wide, if not wider, selection if you kept the braze-on. Also, I don't agree with hacking stuff off of frames. But it is your bike.

Yikes, hacking is not an option for me either. I would have a frame builder remove it if I go that route. I was just under the impression, and maybe it's a silly one, that most modern stuff is clamp on. If both are equal it will stay for sure.

Carbon bikes often use a braze-on FD to avoid clamp issues with crushed tubes, non-round tubing, etc. Getting new braze-on FD's is no issue.

Keep the braze-on. If you're thinking of a triple in the future, there are plenty of braze-on front derailleurs that fit and for triple duty.
If anything, with CF and hydroformed aluminum frames, the non standard shapes of the seat tubes have given birth to more braze-on FDs.
IMHO, all mid to high end FDs should be braze-on only. Then clamp adapters in various sizes could be made for standardized seat tube diameters.
This would lower the manufacturers' cost and end-user cost.

Braze on FD's are easier to find than clamp for modern groups. Or at least that's been my experience.

What he said. I think I've given away two braze-on Ultegra triple FD's.

If I'm not mistaken, I think the original poster's braze on is specific to the Cyclone Mark II front derailleur. It's not the standard tab.

Yes keep braze on definitely, wider selection of derailleurs to use with braze ons.

All my bikes sport braze-on FD's and triple Campy 10 speed groups.

Is this the case? Never heard of the mk ii braze on versions having a unique tab. Would be good to know!

If it were Tange or something, then maybe (even if a Suntour-specific braze-on existed... I don't know). Given a mid-80s Columbus frame, doubtful.

This is not the case. The bike was originally equipped with Campy, the Cyclone braze-on attaches the same as others.

Thanks for the info everyone, I will be keeping the braze-on.