Eating breakfast at the Coffee Club on Monday morning in Mount Isa, McMurtrie said he felt worse than he did on Sunday.

"The sunburn on my face and the pain in my shoulders and shoulder blades are the worst," he said.

"I'm so low down on the road that all the heat from the road just radiates up."

McMurtrie - who lived and worked in Mount Isa for five years before a motor-bike accident in 2009 left him a paraplegic - has only been using the hand cycle for less than two months, so he wasn't sure he would be able to make 50 kilometres on the ride.

"I'd only done 22 kilometres on it before Saturday, so I was beyond exhaustion by the time I'd done 143 kilometres, but I was very pleased I got so far," he said.

Before his accident, where he went over the handlebars of his motorbike on the road to Dajarra, McMurtrie was an avid aussie rules player, basketballer, motor bike rider and cyclist.

When Barkly Challenge coordinator and friend Steve Carson heard McMurtrie wanted to get back into cycling somehow, he organised a lightning footie carnival to raise money for a hand bike.

Because McMurtrie was more than 200 cm the cost of the hand bike and its modifications increased up the price significantly, but the carnival raised enough for the $7,500 bike.

Used to doing the Border Ride every year, this year was a different experience for him.

"I trailed behind with two mates, who had done no training at all, didn't have the right clothing and one of them had a 40 year old bike, but they did 190 kilometres," he said.

He said old school mate Tom Cureton rode in a pair of sandshoes, beach shorts and a work jacket, but he and mate Alistair Grubb both did a sterling job of supporting McMurtrie.

McMurtrie is now based in Brisbane, teaching electrician students.

"There are new challenges and I'm really enjoying the teaching.

"I'm quite independent with my own apartment and car."

McMurtrie said Qantas flew the hand bike up to Mount Isa.

Organiser Steve Carson said all the funds raised from the yearly Border Ride go to dozens of different charities and worthwhile causes in the Mount Isa community.

"This year we're giving to guides, scouts, Royal Flying Doctor Service Auxiliary, Spinifex Residential Campus, Paws, Hoofs and Claws and we always hold some money back in case emergency help is needed."

The amount raised this year was not available yet, but last year's total after expenses was $10,000.