It's not unusual for a bike with a long wheelbase and long chainstay to need more than 116 links. My Globe Carmel comfort hybrid needs 122 links. I bought a single KMC Z72 chain from REI and the mechanic kicked in some extra identical links, cut from new Z72 chains installed on other bikes than needed fewer than 116 links.

If the KMC Missing Link seems to be binding be sure it's the correct match for the chain. I overlooked this detail a few weeks ago. The Missing Link version one is 7.3mm pin length; the MLII is 7.1mm. I couldn't read the fine print without my heavy duty reading glasses. I noticed the difference only after installing the MLII (7.1mm) on a spliced Z33 chain (7.3mm pins), and realized the Missing Link was binding slightly.

Anyway, now I have a couple of new KMC chains to use for cutting and splicing for future changes. Turns out the gritty rural chip seal and gravel roads I enjoy riding are chewing through chains and cassettes quicker than I'd expected so I'll probably need to replace them every year.