26/11/06 - From Classroom to Cobblestones: The Second Bike Tour of Dresden’s buildings

Why is a roller bearing called a "roller bearing"—and what is it actually needed for? Questions like these are best answered where engineering solutions are put into practice: right there, at the structures themselves.

Following the very positive response to the first cycling excursion during summer, the second tour took place on November 6, 2026. Nearly ten students swapped the lecture hall for their bicycles and explored selected sites across Dresden together with Professor Birgit Beckmann (Institute of Concrete Structures) and Professor Stefan Löhnert (Institute of Mechanics and Shell Structures).

The two-hour excursion started at Dresden Central Station. The route covered approximately seven kilometres, passing the swimming complex at Freiberger Platz and continuing through the Wilsdruffer Vorstadt district to the Heinz-Steyer-Stadion. From there, the group followed the Elbe Cycle Path to Alberthafen and the Flügelweg Bridge.

At each stop, the two professors explained mechanical principles and structural design features directly at the structures themselves. The focus was on modelling questions and on understanding why structures and individual components were designed the way they are. The students also gained insights into the role of roller bearings in bridge construction and why their design is crucial to a structure's structural behaviour. This allowed them to connect theoretical concepts from their courses with real-world examples and experience mechanics where it becomes visible.

The second excursion of its kind was also very well received and is therefore set to become a regular part of the study programme.