Hi dee
Yes to having aeros to assist with body position and variability on the bike. Over 24 hours I am sure they will be very beneficial.

It is good your friend uses these so you have practical "real-life" advice. Do give yourself time to get used to them if you decide to get some clip-ons. They alter your centre of gravity (round corners, in cross-winds etc) dramtiaclly.

Never use them in a pack. Your hands are a long way from the brakes and they are banned in most road club racing, or people are discouraged from using them in group training rides. They can be extremely unsafe... not just because it makes a bike trickier to control, and difficlut to respond quickly in an emergency, but also in a pile-up, those two long prongs can make serious holes in peoples legs or other body parts.

I have aeros on my time trial bike, so have the gear levers at the end of the bars. I luuuurve this position, but I always stay off the aeros if I take my TT bike on a training ride with others. Too potentially dangerous.