I'm hoping someone might be able to cut to the chase on this. A friend borrowed me an Airstryke aerobar with the flip up arm rests to try before I buy. It seems to work ok but it is a bit noisy. I think having the rests out of the way of the bars is ok too, but I don't know if the fixed rests are really in the way anyway.

So I'm curious about the different styles. What are the differences between the straighter bars vs bars that curve up and/or the continuous loop style (like I'm using now). Do fixed armrests get in the way? Also I see that some are best suited for a century. I've got a Madone if that factors into it but any advice would be appreciated as my goal is to get into tri's.