Originally Posted by LowCel
Unless you want to change your shifters you are going to need to stick with Shimano.
As for the derailleur I had that happen once as well. My front tire kicked up a small stick that managed to wedge it's self between my derailleur and the ground. Had I not stopped imediately I would have never seen the stick.
I doubt that you are going to convince a shop to warranty this one. This is just part of the risk you take riding a bike off road. It's a risk I'm willing to take though.
You learn the feeling.
I've snapped 3 derailleur hangers this year. Luckily, the local guy hooks me up for $10 a piece.
Anytime I feel that "weird friction" back their I stop and check for anything in the mechanism. It can be sticks or a stop limit screw a little too far out combined with a little lean and looseness in the cones.
This guy looks as if the spoke caught the lower pully. You can tell buy the way the inner/lower tip of the cage is bent. Too little chain simply results in a system that feels "jammed".