Originally Posted by sbhikes
The LWB has the wheel out in front of the cranks and the SWB has the wheel under the cranks (actually the knees), not the other way around as two people have posted here.
Which posts were you referring to? I've re-read all of them and nobody has misspoke concerning the relationship between cranks and front wheels.
Regarding the short vs. long wheelbase, I have a LWB recumbent and, while it does have a larger turning radius, I'm able to turn through sidewalk intersections where even a narrow intersects a normal sidewalk. It took me about 100 miles of riding to really get used to it, but unless you are a courier in NYC and have to weave around stopped traffic alot, a LWB recumbent should be fine. You definitely want to test ride several of both types if you can, and not just around the block once.
Cheers,
Bill.