I've just checked the eBay link provided. Having lived in China (where these items are made) for over three years, and traveled by bicycle a lot there; and having gone through a few of these compass bells, I can report with confidence on these items. The model depicted (with florescent green font) is great to see when riding at night but lean on the bulb/compass part of the item and it will snap off with the slightest pressure applied to it. Just brushing past it will break this particular item and it starts to leak an alcohol-like substance.

Look for the exact same item, at the same price but with yellow, Times New Roman font (http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Bike-Handleba...item20b3cfaeaf). The quality is completely different and it will last for at least six months. I broke one but that's because I was fiddling with its position on my handlebars and snapped the plastic ring, not the bulb. They are so cheap that you can buy half a dozen and pay the one postage fee to have a couple spare. It sounds ridiculous, but I had a conversation in Shanghai about these very bells with a Chinese eBay-equivalent online seller in his distribution warehouse earlier this year When you bid/win/buy the item, insist on receiving a bell with yellow lettering, not green! It's not as attractive but will not break.

Personally I think these are a fantastic item that I do not go on tour without. Sometimes when touring, roads are signposted with different names to the map. Sometimes I do not have a high quality, small scale map of the area I am travelling through. I know my last town/city was X, and I should be travelling in Y direction but my map only has the main roads, and this road I'm on is unsignposted, and starting to look a bit like a minor road. Am I travelling East instead of South?? A quick look at my compass bell and I know that the road name doesn't matter: I'm going the right way for the next town and will get back onto the major road when I go through the next town . It is very re-assuring.

Good luck!