OK, so my SWB recumbent was designed with 650c wheels and a fork with no rake. I'm replacing the fork and wheels with 26" MTB stuff so it'll be durable enough to handle my weight.

The problem is that the (rigid) MTB fork that I've got has some rake, and the original fork didn't. If I mount this new fork "conventionally" (with the fork rake in the direction of bike travel), I'll have just about zero trail, making a bike that some call "squirrely-handling" even more so.

The thought that came to me was that I could mount the fork "backwards" (with the fork rake pointing toward the REAR of the bike). If I do that, I increase the trail significantly, thus (theoretically) increasing the bike's straight-line stability. On the other hand, an already SWB bike becomes even shorter wheelbase via this modification. Will the increased steering trail be completely offset by the shorter wheelbase, or is this a viable option?

Other considerations: The new fork is bossed for "V" brakes. Can I just mount the shoes backward as well and have this contraption work properly?

Thanks!