I will be up gearing from 28:10 to 30:10, but to keep the wheel in that 'sweet spot' I have to run a half link.
I live on the top of a hill, and some of my riding consists of bombing the hill to the local schools for a session, then climbing the 1-2 miles back uphill(sometimes steep). My bike has always had KMC 510 chains and it's perfect blend of strength,weight, and price. I've tried using the generic KMC half link and it was smooth on some set ups, but 'knotchy' on others. Also, that thing is thin, so putting a lot of pressure on it is scary and always a concern when riding. Not very confidence inspiring.
I had a used Cult half link for a bit and that thing was rough, you could feel and hear every link roll over the driver, and it wore into my Rachet hub a bit... Granted, I don't know how worn in/ out that thing was but it sure wasn't smooth.
So, basically, what's a good, smooth, running half link set up?