Pavol Stromcek

I don't know, I think that's extremely unlikely. The chain was making a strange popping sound from the time I began riding, so I honestly think something was amiss from the get go. I thought it might have been a stiff link or something, so I kept riding another block or so to see if I could figure it out or if it would go away. Then the chain froze for a second, I eased up on the pedals, the chain moved again, I pedaled a bit more, then I shifted gears, and a few pedals later - bam.

(And if something would have flipped up from the road into the drivetrain, I think it would have to have been a very hard object, like a pebble, to cause that kind of damage, and I would likely have heard the resultant pinging or ticking sound.)