Bent Chainring causing chain to attempt changing gears
no, it's almost impossible that you bent it just by pedaling. Exacerbate an existing bend, yes, but bend a straight ring, no.
Bending it back into shape is possible, but be careful - bending metal back and forth weakens it. Do not pound it with a hammer - if you dent it you are also thinning it and making it longer. Which means it will be permanently bent. Use an adjustable wrench set to grip the chainring and try to bend around the attachment bolts, not just at the end of the wrench jaws.
A new chainring should be $20-$50, depending on what exactly you get. If your chainrings are not removable that means a new crankset but it also means your crankset is cheap, so it should be in that price range as well.


To replace it yourself is easy and should require a 5mm allen key and a thin coin. There will be four or five bolts on the outside of the chainring, and a matching slotted nut on the inside. You can buy a special tool to grip that nut, but I find a small coin is usually enough. Taking the chainring off before trying to straighten it is not a good idea as there's too much risk of dishing the chainring.