  We study spiky strings in the context of the SL(2) Bethe ansatz equations. We
find an asymmetric distribution of Bethe roots along one cut that determines
the all loop anomalous dimension at leading and subleading orders in a large S
expansion. At leading order in strong coupling (large lambda) we obtain that
the energy of such states is given, in terms of the spin S and the number of
spikes n by E-S=n sqrt{lambda}/(2 pi) (ln 16 pi S/(n sqrt{lambda})+ ln sin
(pi/n) - 1)+ O(ln S/S). This result matches perfectly the same expansion
obtained from the known spiky string classical solution.
  We then discuss a two cut spiky string Bethe root distribution at one-loop in
the SL(2) Bethe ansatz. In this case we find a limit where n goes to infinity,
keeping (E+S)/n^2, (E-S)/n, J/n fixed. This is the one loop version of a limit
previously considered in the context of the string classical solutions in AdS5
x S5. In that case it was related to a string solution in the AdS pp-wave
background.
